1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:06,240 Everyone plays status games and no one wants to admit it. 2 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:12,840 When I was in high school, most of the students at my California 3 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,960 public school naturally sorted themselves into the traditional 4 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:22,720 cliques. Nerds, jocks, popular girls, 5 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:27,320 stoners, band kids over in their own little weird corner. 6 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,760 Everyone knew where each group stood in relation to the others. 7 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:38,280 Everyone knew what place their group held on the ladder. 8 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:43,280 No one used the word. What was it all about status? 9 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:47,200 And of course, there wasn't just a hierarchy between those 10 00:00:47,200 --> 00:00:49,920 groups. There was a hierarchy within 11 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,160 each group. Whatever group you most belong 12 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:55,120 to, you might be able to say, I don't care what those kids think 13 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,760 about me. I'm not trying to be a jock, but 14 00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:02,560 you would care what the people in your own group thought about 15 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,280 you. The criteria for being at the 16 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,720 top varied depending on the group. 17 00:01:09,960 --> 00:01:15,240 Best looks, best grades, best athlete, best performer, biggest 18 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:21,000 risk taker. But you cared where you fit 19 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:25,280 based on those criteria in one way or another. 20 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:31,400 Status is a game that most of us are playing much of the time. 21 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:36,040 In his provocative book The Status Game, English journalist 22 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:41,080 will store writes When people defer to us, offer respect, 23 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,200 admiration or praise, or allow us to influence them in some 24 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,840 way. That's status, he observes. 25 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,080 In the developed world we play political games, religious 26 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:56,400 games, corporate games, sports games, cult games, legal games, 27 00:01:56,400 --> 00:02:00,640 fashion games, hobby games, computer games, charity games, 28 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:06,880 social media games, racial, gender and nationalist games. 29 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:12,040 The variety feels infinite. Within these groups we strive 30 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:17,920 for individual status acclaim from our Co players. 31 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,360 We don't often describe them like this, but status games are 32 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:25,120 everywhere. If you're a high school athlete, 33 00:02:25,920 --> 00:02:29,160 you play JV or varsity. If you're trying to get onto a 34 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:36,440 college team, is it D3D2 or D1? Are you a starter or do you come 35 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,680 off the bench? If you have a professional job, 36 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:45,560 you know where your profession sits on the prestige ladder 37 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:51,160 compared to other professions. And within your job, you know 38 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,640 where your job title puts you in the hierarchy. 39 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:57,360 What's the noun in your job title? 40 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:04,360 What's the adjective or series of adjectives like senior vice 41 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:09,440 president? Sometimes the traits that can 42 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:17,200 confer status or show off status are either highly arbitrary or 43 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,600 deeply personal. Even intimate. 44 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:28,000 Clothes, cars, vacation spots, kind of arbitrary. 45 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:37,480 Much more intimate looks, body type, fitness, thinness. 46 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:44,720 What does status give you? It's a form of currency. 47 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,240 It's a kind of relationship. Cash. 48 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:50,360 The more people think the more highly of you, the more reason 49 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:51,760 you have to feel good about yourself. 50 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,800 Not only that, the more social power you have. 51 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,840 Status is validating the worth other people gives you, proves 52 00:03:58,840 --> 00:04:04,000 your worth to yourself. So you think it also means 53 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,720 people tend to treat you better the more status you have. 54 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:08,920 Why? Because you have something they 55 00:04:08,920 --> 00:04:12,040 want, they can get more of it from you. 56 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:18,160 Why don't we like to admit that we play status games? 57 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,959 It's uncomfortable. It's not one of those realities 58 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:23,240 we often look at or talk about or name. 59 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,080 It's hidden. It's under the surface. 60 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:30,120 Why here, again, Will store is helpful, he says. 61 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:35,280 To admit to being motivated by improving our rank is to risk 62 00:04:35,280 --> 00:04:39,040 making others think less of us, which loses us rank. 63 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:44,280 Even admitting it to ourselves can make us feel reduced, so our 64 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:47,760 awareness of our desire for status eats itself. 65 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:52,440 We readily recognize it in Rivals and even use it as a 66 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:57,320 method of insult, which, ironically, is status play, an 67 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,120 attempt to downgrade others and thereby raise ourselves up. 68 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,520 What status games do you care about? 69 00:05:06,280 --> 00:05:08,440 What status game do you care most about? 70 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:11,840 I'm not asking you to say anything out loud. 71 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:16,160 I'm just asking you to be honest in your own head right now. 72 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:25,720 What are you tempted to neglect or harm in your quest for 73 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:30,000 status? This morning we continue our 74 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:34,760 series in Mark's Gospel with Chapter 9, verses 30 to 41. 75 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:37,800 If you don't have a Bible, you can put up your hand and someone 76 00:05:37,800 --> 00:05:39,440 will bring you one. Do we need any? 77 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:40,920 Dawson's ready. Brian's ready. 78 00:05:40,920 --> 00:05:42,160 Looks like everybody's got a Bible. 79 00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:49,040 Mark Chapter 9, verses 30 to 41. Our passage for this morning is 80 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:53,800 all about status. Once you see it, you can't Unsee 81 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,760 it. Specifically, it's about how 82 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,720 Jesus turns our quest for status upside down. 83 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:08,640 If you follow a crucified Savior, what does that do to 84 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:15,720 your quest for status? Consider that question as I read 85 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:21,720 the whole passage. They went on from there and 86 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:25,320 passed through Galilee. And He did not want anyone to 87 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:30,800 know, for He was teaching His disciples, saying to them, The 88 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,520 Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, 89 00:06:34,240 --> 00:06:38,920 and they will kill Him, and when He is killed after three days He 90 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:43,000 will rise. But they did not understand the 91 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:45,400 saying and were afraid to ask him. 92 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,200 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he 93 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:52,520 asked them, What were you discussing on the way? 94 00:06:53,920 --> 00:06:58,800 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one 95 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,880 another about who was the greatest. 96 00:07:05,040 --> 00:07:07,120 And he sat down and called the 12. 97 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:15,680 And he said to them, If anyone would be first, he must be last 98 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:22,560 of all, and servant of all. And he took a child, and put him 99 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,960 in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to 100 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:29,760 them, Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 101 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:33,960 and whoever receives me receives not me, but him who sent me. 102 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:40,720 John said to him, Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons 103 00:07:40,720 --> 00:07:43,840 in your name, and we tried to stop him because he was not 104 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:49,440 following us. But Jesus said, do not stop him. 105 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:53,760 For no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able 106 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:55,600 soon afterward to speak evil of me. 107 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,720 For the one who is not against us is for us. 108 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,760 For truly, I say to you, whoever gives you a cup of water to 109 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:09,120 drink because you belong to Christ will by no means lose his 110 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:14,600 reward. Our passage answers a simple, 111 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,040 crucial question, and it's a question that's intimately tied 112 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:22,520 up with status. The question is, what is true 113 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:31,120 greatness according to Jesus? True greatness is making 114 00:08:31,120 --> 00:08:36,840 yourself least and putting yourself last. 115 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:44,480 True greatness is making yourself least and putting 116 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:49,840 yourself last. How can you do that? 117 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:55,520 Our text has three sections. The sermon will have three 118 00:08:55,520 --> 00:09:01,600 points. How can you make yourself least 119 00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:08,040 and put yourself last? Point #1 embrace the suffering 120 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:11,280 servant, embrace the suffering servant. 121 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:14,080 That's the challenge of verses 30 to 32. 122 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:16,840 Look again with me at those verses. 123 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:20,320 They went on from there and passed through Galilee. 124 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:22,560 And He did not want anyone to know, for He was teaching His 125 00:09:22,560 --> 00:09:26,560 disciples, saying to them, The Son of Man is going to be 126 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:29,640 delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. 127 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,560 And when He is killed after three days, He will rise. 128 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,960 But they did not understand the saying and were afraid to ask 129 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:41,200 him. Now verse 30 tells us that Jesus 130 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,360 is leading his disciples on a journey. 131 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:48,280 He's taking them on the way. The way to where they don't know 132 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,720 it, but he's leading them to Jerusalem. 133 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:56,920 They don't understand it, but he is heading to his own death on 134 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,360 the cross. Jesus has already taught them 135 00:10:00,360 --> 00:10:02,760 back in chapter 8 that he's going to die for sins and rise 136 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:04,720 again. But they didn't get it. 137 00:10:05,360 --> 00:10:07,960 And if his inner circle of disciples didn't get it, the 138 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,720 broader crowds following him certainly aren't going to get 139 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:12,440 it. Which is why he does this follow 140 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:15,240 up teaching in private, in secrecy. 141 00:10:15,480 --> 00:10:18,760 He teaches his disciples again with nobody else around. 142 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,960 This is the second of three times in Mark's gospel that 143 00:10:22,960 --> 00:10:24,680 Jesus predicts his death and resurrection. 144 00:10:24,680 --> 00:10:28,040 Once in chapter 8, once in Chapter 9, once in chapter 10. 145 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:32,480 This one is the shortest. It's plain stark, simple. 146 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,800 The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men 147 00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:38,320 and they will kill him. And when he is killed after 148 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:41,760 three days, he will rise. The keyword in Jesus teaching is 149 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,200 delivered. This will be literally fulfilled 150 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,000 in a series of events. Judas will deliver Jesus to the 151 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:50,800 Sanhedrin, the religious authorities. 152 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:53,160 The Sanhedrin will deliver Jesus to Pilate. 153 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:57,200 Pilate will condemn him to death and deliver him over to soldiers 154 00:10:57,560 --> 00:11:01,080 and those soldiers will literally deliver him bodily to 155 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:05,200 the cross. In each case the verb delivered 156 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:10,440 means that Jesus is in the hands of he's under the power of 157 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:14,720 someone else and he's being handed over to a fate that if he 158 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:17,480 were acting in his own self-interest, he would not 159 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:22,400 choose. In the Greek text of verse 31, 160 00:11:22,400 --> 00:11:26,200 Jesus verb delivered is actually in the present tense. 161 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:27,840 You could translate it literally. 162 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:31,080 The Son of Man is being delivered. 163 00:11:31,640 --> 00:11:33,800 I think the Esvs future translation is fine. 164 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:35,640 Jesus talking about something that's going to happen, but why 165 00:11:35,640 --> 00:11:40,120 does he put it in the present? It's as if he's saying it's 166 00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:42,760 already happening. God has determined it. 167 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:47,080 God has decreed it. It is certain even though you 168 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:48,480 don't see it happening outwardly. 169 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:53,480 It is in process right now though. 170 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:56,600 Evil human acts. We'll hand Jesus over to 171 00:11:56,600 --> 00:11:59,000 condemnation. The ultimate reason for Jesus's 172 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:01,880 suffering is God's sovereign will of salvation. 173 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:06,920 Behind each human act of betrayal, Jesus points to the 174 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:11,480 sovereign hand of God. And Jesus willingly embraces his 175 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:16,240 role as the suffering servant. He is making no objection. 176 00:12:16,560 --> 00:12:20,800 He is registering no dispute. He is voluntarily endorsing his 177 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:23,360 own role and handing himself over. 178 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:26,720 As we saw a couple of weeks ago on the similar passage in 179 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:32,160 chapter 8, Jesus names himself here as the Son of Man. 180 00:12:32,640 --> 00:12:36,160 That title points to a figure of power and glory from Daniel 181 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:40,560 Chapter 7. But he attributes to himself as 182 00:12:40,560 --> 00:12:44,800 the Son of Man what was prophesied in Isaiah's teaching 183 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:47,360 about the suffering servant, especially in Isaiah 53. 184 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:54,160 For instance, Isaiah 53 verse 8 says by oppression and judgement 185 00:12:54,240 --> 00:13:00,800 he was taken away, meaning by injustice he was delivered over, 186 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:04,880 carried off. The Son of Man is the suffering 187 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:06,560 servant. There's irony here. 188 00:13:06,760 --> 00:13:09,600 There's paradox here. The Son of Man will be delivered 189 00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:13,240 into the hands of men. The one who's sovereign over all 190 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:18,720 gave himself over to the most degrading, horrifying death. 191 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,960 Why? Why did He do that? 192 00:13:25,160 --> 00:13:29,680 All the human acts of handing over Judas, Jewish leaders, 193 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:35,320 pilot soldiers, those were all human instruments of a greater 194 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:41,360 glorious divine. Handing over God the Father 195 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:45,560 delivered God the Son to death for our sins. 196 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:52,440 Jesus Himself delivered Himself over to death to save us. 197 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:57,440 Why did He do that? Because of His love, because of 198 00:13:57,440 --> 00:14:02,840 His mercy, because of His grace, and because it was the only way 199 00:14:03,240 --> 00:14:07,200 that we sinners who have completely alienated ourselves 200 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:10,840 from God and rebelled against God, could be reconciled to God. 201 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:16,120 In the wisdom of God there had to be a substitute to satisfy 202 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:20,280 God's wrath against sin, and in the mercy of God he was willing 203 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:25,720 that it should be so. Jesus came to earth knowing and 204 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:29,160 endorsing that this would be his destination. 205 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:34,960 The Son of Man came, He'll tell us a chapter later, not to be 206 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:41,920 served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. 207 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,520 The only way that you as a sinful human individual can be 208 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,920 reconciled to God is by the death and resurrection of Jesus. 209 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,520 By the death of Jesus that pays for your sins. 210 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:54,600 By the resurrection of Jesus by which he proves his power over 211 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:58,160 sin and death and enters into the the new creation life that 212 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:01,480 no death can touch. If you are not trusting in Jesus 213 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:03,400 to save you, repent and believe today. 214 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:07,640 He's the only way to be right with God. 215 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:15,400 Note that Jesus's death is crucial both as a physical, 216 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:19,680 bodily death and as a status death. 217 00:15:20,520 --> 00:15:24,280 Jesus is the one who is rightly due all glory, honor, and 218 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,200 worship, and yet he willingly allowed himself to be mocked, 219 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:32,800 maligned, mistreated, hit, spat on, and crucified. 220 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:37,520 The crucifixion of Christ is the greatest distortion of status in 221 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:40,720 the history of the world. The crucifixion of Christ is the 222 00:15:40,720 --> 00:15:45,120 greatest status death in the history of the world. 223 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:49,960 It is an infinite status death. God himself submitted to 224 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,800 crucifixion. The Lord of all made himself 225 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:54,640 nothing to save those who believe. 226 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:59,040 Now, what did the disciples make of all this? 227 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:05,000 Sadly, nothing. They heard the words. 228 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,720 They must have understood at least the part about Jesus dying 229 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:10,920 and rising again, although it just didn't compute. 230 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,240 It didn't make sense. It didn't fit with their 231 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:16,520 pre-existing programs of what the Messiah would be. 232 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:21,160 It caused all of their programs to glitch, to freeze up. 233 00:16:21,680 --> 00:16:26,760 Blue screen of death is what these sayings of Jesus induced 234 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:29,480 in their minds. It doesn't compute. 235 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:33,240 Suffering Messiah dead son of man, huh? 236 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:38,360 And they were afraid to ask. That's because they were afraid 237 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:41,080 of a rebuke. Jesus has already taught them 238 00:16:41,080 --> 00:16:43,600 this once. Here comes the same lesson, 239 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,240 class and session again. Guys, you didn't get it last 240 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,040 time, so we have to repeat the lesson. 241 00:16:50,240 --> 00:16:52,400 Jesus is a patient master teacher. 242 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:56,680 He's instructing his disciples in what they need and yet 243 00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:59,560 they're none the wiser. So they're afraid. 244 00:17:00,920 --> 00:17:04,160 The best thing for the disciples would have been to understand 245 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:09,119 and embrace Jesus teaching. The next best thing would have 246 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:11,480 been to confess their ignorance and ask him to explain. 247 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:17,480 Brothers and sisters, members of Trinity Baptist Church, embrace 248 00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:20,119 the humility of asking questions. 249 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:22,319 If there's a biblical truth, you're wrestling with something 250 00:17:22,319 --> 00:17:24,640 you don't understand. Ask a mature believer. 251 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:26,560 Ask somebody who knows Scripture well. 252 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:31,080 Ask an elder of the church. Humble yourself to get help. 253 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:33,880 As parents, this is something Kristen and I are always 254 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:35,840 teaching our kids about knowledge in general. 255 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:38,560 If we're reading a book to them and they don't understand what a 256 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:40,160 word means, they pipe up and say, What does that mean? 257 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,400 We want to encourage them. Hey, good job being humble. 258 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,760 Good job asking. You certainly don't want to go 259 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:47,160 around using words you've heard if you do not know what they 260 00:17:47,160 --> 00:17:50,080 mean. Instead, you should ask whenever 261 00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:53,040 you hear a word you don't know what it means. 262 00:17:53,400 --> 00:18:02,120 If you don't know, always ask. The disciples were sorry, let me 263 00:18:02,120 --> 00:18:04,480 back up. The disciples should have been 264 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:10,000 further along than they were. Their spiritual dullness kept 265 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:13,040 them from understanding the truth Jesus was teaching, and 266 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:14,800 sometimes we can feel like that as Christians. 267 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,840 I should be further along than I am. 268 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:20,840 When I kind of look at the other believers around me, maybe the 269 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,480 other members of the church, I kind of feel like they're 270 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,720 farther ahead of me. I feel behind. 271 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:32,320 Don't be embarrassed by that. Don't let a feeling of 272 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:38,000 comparative inadequacy keep you from growing if you have a 273 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:41,680 question or struggle that seems too basic or too elementary to 274 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:43,520 ask about. Like, surely this was taught in 275 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,080 Christianity 101 and I I missed that day, or somehow I just kind 276 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:51,600 of fell behind. If you ask somebody, you may 277 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,600 well discover the thing you're struggling with is something 278 00:18:55,600 --> 00:18:58,960 that seemingly very mature believers around you continue to 279 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:02,200 struggle with too. If you're not a believer in 280 00:19:02,200 --> 00:19:06,360 Jesus, I wonder how his being delivered over to death strikes 281 00:19:06,360 --> 00:19:08,520 you. One of the reasons the disciples 282 00:19:08,520 --> 00:19:10,920 failed to understand Jesus teaching is that it really does 283 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,680 not make sense in worldly terms. It doesn't. 284 00:19:13,840 --> 00:19:16,560 It isn't meant to. A dying savior, A crucified 285 00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:18,120 king. That seems backwards. 286 00:19:18,120 --> 00:19:21,360 That seems upside down. You know, there's actually an 287 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:26,800 ancient anti Christian graffiti that reflects the fact that non 288 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:30,480 believers have always found Jesus crucifixion absurd. 289 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:35,120 This graffiti was scratched in plaster on the wall of a room in 290 00:19:35,120 --> 00:19:40,360 ancient Rome in about 200 AD. There's a picture and there's 291 00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:42,600 words. The picture is this. 292 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:47,720 There's one man worshiping another man who's being 293 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:51,000 crucified and who has the head of a donkey. 294 00:19:52,480 --> 00:19:58,720 The text under the picture says Alexa Menos worships his God, an 295 00:19:58,720 --> 00:20:03,800 early Pagan Roman mockery of Christianity from not long after 296 00:20:03,800 --> 00:20:07,720 Christianity was born. The cross has always looked 297 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:12,880 stupid to non believers. My question for you is, if 298 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:19,240 you're not a believer, what values make Jesus look stupid to 299 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:23,400 you? What pursuits, what pleasures, 300 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:26,920 what status games that you're invested in? 301 00:20:27,320 --> 00:20:31,560 Make Jesus look to you like a crucified donkey. 302 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,200 We believers understand it looks crazy. 303 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:38,320 We believers understand it looks stupid. 304 00:20:38,680 --> 00:20:41,280 We just also confess with the Apostle Paul that the 305 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:45,000 foolishness of God is wiser than men. 306 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:49,240 Whatever those values are, whatever in your kind of value 307 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,840 system makes Jesus look stupid, I'd beg you to reconsider. 308 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:57,640 I'd exhort you to repent of any of this world's values that get 309 00:20:57,640 --> 00:21:00,960 between you and Jesus. The cross is a paradox. 310 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,920 The cross is upside down, and that's for a very good reason. 311 00:21:04,400 --> 00:21:08,760 It was the only way for God to turn this upside down world 312 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:13,720 right side up. How can you begin to pursue true 313 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:17,280 greatness? What does it take to make 314 00:21:17,280 --> 00:21:19,320 yourself least and put yourself last? 315 00:21:20,360 --> 00:21:24,880 It starts when you embrace the suffering servant. 316 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:33,880 But it doesn't stop there. What Jesus became for us, we 317 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:42,200 must become for others Point to become a humble servant. 318 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:47,680 Become a humble servant. That's the lesson of verses 33 319 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:54,520 to 37. Look first at verses 33 and 34. 320 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,720 And they came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house, he 321 00:21:58,720 --> 00:22:00,840 asked them what were you discussing on the way? 322 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:05,400 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one 323 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:07,080 another about who is the greatest. 324 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:12,280 Now, as the following verses are going to show, Jesus asks what 325 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:16,920 the disciples were discussing, not because he didn't know, but 326 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:20,520 because He did know. He could have overheard them. 327 00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:23,240 He could have known by his divine omniscience. 328 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:28,160 The text doesn't specify, but the point is, Jesus caught them. 329 00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:34,880 The disciples again keep silent, this time out of embarrassment. 330 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:38,360 They're like school boys who got caught by the teacher talking 331 00:22:38,360 --> 00:22:39,640 about something they shouldn't be talking about. 332 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:40,520 Whoop. Keep quiet. 333 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,840 Maybe we won't hear, maybe we'll forget about it. 334 00:22:43,960 --> 00:22:47,640 Don't say anything. Their behavior is almost 335 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:51,760 childish, and so it's all the more fitting that Jesus will use 336 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:55,040 a child as an object lesson to instruct them. 337 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:59,760 Here in verse 34, we learn that the disciples were playing a 338 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:03,440 status game. They were arguing about which of 339 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,680 them sits at the top of the ladder. 340 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:09,240 Who is the highest status disciple? 341 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:11,920 That's what it means to be arguing about who's the 342 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:17,160 greatest. What could be more unfitting for 343 00:23:17,160 --> 00:23:20,280 followers of a Savior who's on his way to crucifixion? 344 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,800 What could be more unfitting for followers of the one who's just 345 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:29,880 proclaimed that he is going to willingly endure an infinite 346 00:23:29,880 --> 00:23:35,520 status death to save them? But that's what pride does. 347 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:41,920 It blinds us to how comically foolish so many of our quests 348 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:46,360 for status are. And pride, of course, is at the 349 00:23:46,360 --> 00:23:48,760 root of so much striving for status. 350 00:23:49,280 --> 00:23:53,080 Just to be clear, not all giving and receiving of status is 351 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,800 sinful. It's right to honor things that 352 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:58,320 are honorable. It's right to celebrate things 353 00:23:58,320 --> 00:24:01,000 that are good. Everything from athletic 354 00:24:01,000 --> 00:24:05,280 achievement to excellent work to some outstanding moral acts do 355 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:12,040 deserve recognition. But our pride leads us to crave 356 00:24:12,120 --> 00:24:16,880 status as an idol. Our pride drives us to sin in 357 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:21,920 pursuit of status and to sin when we don't get the status we 358 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:25,480 want. Here the disciples are an object 359 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:33,160 lesson in how pride leads to selfish sinful status seeking. 360 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:38,720 So it's Jesus answer. It comes in two parts, 1st and 361 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:43,360 verse 35 there's a thesis then in verses 36 and 37 and 362 00:24:43,360 --> 00:24:47,320 illustration first verse 35. Here's really the heart of our 363 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:50,840 passage. And he sat down and called the 364 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,360 12. And he said to them, if anyone 365 00:24:54,360 --> 00:24:58,600 would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all. 366 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,680 Jesus posture of sitting down adds a note of authority and 367 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:04,200 formality. It's what he's about to say. 368 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,440 It's the posture of a teacher instructing his students. 369 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,320 And so it sets up the question, what's the lesson? 370 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:13,560 If you want to be first, you must become last of all and 371 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:16,120 servant of all. If you want to be great, you 372 00:25:16,120 --> 00:25:18,800 have to make yourself least and put yourself last. 373 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:23,240 If you want to be great, you have to make yourself nothing. 374 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:30,200 The only way to be great in Jesus eyes is to be a humble 375 00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:33,800 servant. After all, that's exactly what 376 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,600 he did for you. That's what he became in order 377 00:25:37,720 --> 00:25:40,480 to save you. The only way to faithfully 378 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:43,640 follow a crucified Messiah is to make yourself nothing. 379 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:48,960 The only way to faithfully follow the suffering servants is 380 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:50,400 to make yourself a humble servant. 381 00:25:50,840 --> 00:25:54,000 Anything else is a contradiction in terms. 382 00:25:55,360 --> 00:25:59,000 Humble service is a mark of every genuine believer. 383 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:03,520 Sometimes we think of humility exclusively as our attitude 384 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:07,800 toward God. It starts there, but it doesn't 385 00:26:07,800 --> 00:26:12,240 stop there. Humility is not just having a 386 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:17,520 lowly attitude before God, it is having a lowly attitude and 387 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:22,520 actions toward others. Humility is proven not just by 388 00:26:22,520 --> 00:26:26,160 your attitude toward God, but by your attitude and actions toward 389 00:26:26,160 --> 00:26:29,720 others. Humility is not just thinking 390 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:37,400 less of yourself, it is also necessarily doing more for 391 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:41,200 others. To become a humble servant is to 392 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:44,640 make yourself least and put yourself last, and there is no 393 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:49,480 way to do that without undergoing a painful series of 394 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:54,040 deaths to self. To make yourself least will cost 395 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:57,160 you. It will cost you things you want 396 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:00,520 and things you love. It will cost you things that 397 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:02,520 make you look good and feel good. 398 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,360 It will cost you things that could get you praise and esteem 399 00:27:06,560 --> 00:27:09,880 from others. It will cost you making hard 400 00:27:09,880 --> 00:27:15,520 decisions, suffering hard losses that no other human being will 401 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:20,480 adequately notice or appreciate or repay. 402 00:27:22,200 --> 00:27:27,440 Putting yourself last will hurt. It'll hurt your pride. 403 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:31,520 It'll hurt your ego. It'll hurt your plans and 404 00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:35,040 ambitions. It might even hurt physically. 405 00:27:36,320 --> 00:27:39,800 There are times when providing for others needs and serving 406 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:45,680 others good demands that you continue to extend yourself when 407 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:48,000 you're already worn down and spread thin. 408 00:27:49,400 --> 00:27:55,280 Being a servant comes to the price tag and the whole point is 409 00:27:55,280 --> 00:28:00,400 it the price you pay. And the test of whether you're 410 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:05,080 really paying the price is whether those you're serving see 411 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:09,920 you do it gladly. Ah, if you pay the price, but 412 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:13,800 you're mad about it, you're passing along the costs to those 413 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:19,360 you're allegedly serving. This kind of service can only 414 00:28:19,360 --> 00:28:21,880 come from a total transformation of the heart. 415 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:27,120 This kind of glad sacrificial cost, paying so that the other 416 00:28:27,120 --> 00:28:32,880 person doesn't even know how much it's costing you, that is 417 00:28:32,880 --> 00:28:37,360 serving in the way of Jesus. The cost you pay are many. 418 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:43,560 Loss of status, loss of recognition, loss of ease, loss 419 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:48,680 of enjoyment. What could possibly motivate you 420 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:53,640 to willingly, gladly undergo such losses? 421 00:28:54,800 --> 00:29:00,680 Scripture offers 2 massive motivations. 1 looks back, the 422 00:29:00,680 --> 00:29:08,360 other looks forward first. This is the price Jesus has 423 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:12,080 already paid for you. He did it at infinite cost to 424 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:14,680 himself. He did it at the cost of his 425 00:29:14,680 --> 00:29:17,560 life. This is how Jesus has already 426 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:20,440 served you. So to make yourself least and 427 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:25,000 put yourself last is to love others the way Jesus has already 428 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:28,160 loved you. Second. 429 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:31,840 That's looking back. This is looking forward. 430 00:29:32,560 --> 00:29:37,200 There's the reward that Jesus promises to all who humble 431 00:29:37,200 --> 00:29:40,280 themselves as he teaches in Matthew 2312. 432 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:45,360 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles 433 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:50,040 himself will be exalted, or as he teaches later in Mark chapter 434 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:53,160 10, verse 31. But many who are first will be 435 00:29:53,160 --> 00:30:00,080 last, and the last first. All throughout Mark's Gospel we 436 00:30:00,080 --> 00:30:02,960 see that Jesus's path is 1 of reversal. 437 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,760 Reversal of expectations, reversal of fortunes. 438 00:30:07,000 --> 00:30:10,240 He will humble himself to death and then be exalted. 439 00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,640 He will suffer and then enter into glory. 440 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:18,920 And so will we. Humbling yourself is not the end 441 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:22,200 of the story. It would be a pretty rough way 442 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:26,240 to live if it was. The humbling yourself may last 443 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:29,440 as long as this life does, but the good news is this life is 444 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:36,240 not all there is. Humbling yourself is not the end 445 00:30:36,240 --> 00:30:40,560 of the story. It's necessary, there's no way 446 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:43,320 around it. But it's only a chapter. 447 00:30:44,400 --> 00:30:47,000 Even if you humble yourself throughout this entire chapter, 448 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:49,400 what's Jesus going to do when it finishes? 449 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:55,640 Exalts you with Him by sharing His own glory with you forever. 450 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:01,760 Any cost you pay now is nothing compared to the reward Jesus 451 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:05,400 will give you. Any death to self you suffer now 452 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:09,800 is nothing compared to the life you will receive with Jesus and 453 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:15,080 from Jesus. Anything you give up in order to 454 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:20,120 serve others now is nothing compared to gaining eternity 455 00:31:20,440 --> 00:31:25,120 with Him. So ask yourself, what can you do 456 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:29,840 to make yourself least and put yourself last? 457 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,120 What would it look like for you to be the greatest servant in 458 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:37,880 your home? What would it look like to be 459 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:41,160 the person most willing to die to their own preferences and 460 00:31:41,160 --> 00:31:46,200 desires in your workplace or on your team or in your class? 461 00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:51,040 Mothers in the congregation, I just want to encourage you. 462 00:31:51,760 --> 00:31:55,040 You all do this in so many ways every day. 463 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:58,160 There is maybe no earthly calling that is so shaped around 464 00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:01,560 death to self and self denial as motherhood. 465 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:07,280 You do this all the time. I see my own wife, Kristen, die 466 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:09,240 to herself and make herself last and least for the good of our 467 00:32:09,240 --> 00:32:11,360 family all the time, including right now. 468 00:32:11,360 --> 00:32:12,720 We have a couple of kids who are not well. 469 00:32:12,720 --> 00:32:16,000 This morning she is home with them so that I can be here to 470 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:20,520 preach. Husbands, encourage your wives 471 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:22,960 for the sacrifices you see them making. 472 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:26,040 They are making many. You should be noticing them. 473 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:29,600 It's easy to miss them. Just open your eyes, you'll see 474 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,160 some. And then once you do, encourage 475 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:36,320 your wife for ways you see her pouring herself out in Christ 476 00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:42,800 like service for your family. Our culture, for the most part, 477 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:49,720 does not notice or praise or confer status on mothers. 478 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:56,440 To be a mother, particularly to be a full time mother, is to die 479 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:59,720 a status death, especially if you've given up any kind of 480 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,560 career or credentials in order to devote yourself to your 481 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:06,680 children. It's all the more necessary for 482 00:33:06,680 --> 00:33:09,800 us as believers, for us in the church, to rightly celebrate and 483 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:12,600 honor and repair the status of mothers. 484 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:15,960 Mothers should be honored by us and among us in ways they simply 485 00:33:15,960 --> 00:33:19,800 aren't out in the world. Members of Trinity Baptist 486 00:33:19,800 --> 00:33:22,680 Church, I also want to encourage all of you for ways you're 487 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:26,680 selflessly and sacrificially serving one another and doing so 488 00:33:26,680 --> 00:33:28,760 in ways to help establish this church together. 489 00:33:29,120 --> 00:33:33,000 Giving generously, showing up early to set up, running sound, 490 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:35,880 helping lead in worship, teaching in children's ministry, 491 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:39,840 greeting, welcoming, investing in each other's spiritually, 492 00:33:39,840 --> 00:33:41,040 providing for each other's needs. 493 00:33:41,040 --> 00:33:45,240 There are thousands of ways you all are serving one another for 494 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:50,120 the good of this body. There's also one small act of 495 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:52,600 service I saw a few months ago in a different context just 496 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:54,840 stuck with me. I've often thought about it. 497 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:58,480 Our daughter Lucy, in the previous school year had a 498 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:00,640 several weeks of like a band practice and they all got to 499 00:34:00,640 --> 00:34:03,840 learn an instrument. So she was loaned A flute from 500 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:07,240 the school and one morning when she's supposed to have band, she 501 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,400 left the flute at home. And so Kristen, and yet one more 502 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:13,480 sacrificial act of service, made another trip to school to bring 503 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,199 Lucy the flute. She brought it into the middle 504 00:34:16,199 --> 00:34:19,320 school admin office, having to see the principal, Dr. Matt 505 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:21,880 Hall. Dr. Hall just says, oh, that's 506 00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:24,280 fine, I'll take it. And he runs it down the hall to 507 00:34:24,280 --> 00:34:27,280 Lucy's class and brings the flute to or himself right away. 508 00:34:28,199 --> 00:34:29,840 He didn't pass it off on somebody. 509 00:34:29,840 --> 00:34:33,560 He didn't kind of leave it there for a lowly admin person to take 510 00:34:33,560 --> 00:34:35,440 care of. The person in charge of the 511 00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:39,239 whole school didn't want Lucy to be worried about her afternoon 512 00:34:39,239 --> 00:34:41,719 practice a second longer than she needed to. 513 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:50,480 He proved by that that he cares about her, and he's willing to 514 00:34:50,480 --> 00:34:54,880 care for her. No matter what position of 515 00:34:55,239 --> 00:35:01,560 authority or status or prestige. You have one way to serve 516 00:35:01,560 --> 00:35:03,920 others. It's by continuing to pursue 517 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:08,520 whatever menial tasks it takes to love and care for those under 518 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:12,280 your charge. Make yourself least, put 519 00:35:12,280 --> 00:35:14,760 yourself last. That's Jesus thesis. 520 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:18,760 Then comes the illustration, verses 36 and 37. 521 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:22,440 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking 522 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:25,200 him in his arms, he said to them, whoever receives one such 523 00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:30,160 child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives 524 00:35:30,160 --> 00:35:33,680 not me, but him who sent me. Why does Jesus use a child as an 525 00:35:33,680 --> 00:35:36,920 object lesson? I don't think it's necessarily 526 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:39,800 as an example of faith or dependence. 527 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:43,360 I don't think it's an example of humility either. 528 00:35:43,360 --> 00:35:47,760 Not necessarily. Instead, it's because the child 529 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:51,320 has no status. In the ancient Mediterranean 530 00:35:51,320 --> 00:35:54,880 world, children were at the lowest place on the social 531 00:35:54,880 --> 00:35:56,600 ladder. They were under the authority of 532 00:35:56,600 --> 00:35:58,960 others. They had no legal rights. 533 00:35:59,240 --> 00:36:01,320 They could not stand up for themselves. 534 00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:05,480 Jesus is not teaching his disciples about becoming 535 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:09,640 childlike through some kind of native good quality in children. 536 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:14,440 Instead, he's teaching them that they need to give up their quest 537 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:19,320 for status and they need to embrace those who have no 538 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:22,640 status. So what does Jesus mean when he 539 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:27,280 talks about receiving one such child in my name? 540 00:36:27,960 --> 00:36:33,040 How is that? How is it that by doing that you 541 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:37,240 receive Jesus? I think in both his action and 542 00:36:37,240 --> 00:36:41,800 his teaching, Jesus is using the child as a symbol for a 543 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:44,400 believer. I think the child represents A 544 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:46,920 believer. The child has no status and 545 00:36:46,920 --> 00:36:49,480 every believer in Jesus is someone who has given up the 546 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:52,200 quest for status in order to follow Christ. 547 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:56,320 So to receive a child in Christ's name means to receive a 548 00:36:56,320 --> 00:37:01,280 believer for Jesus sake. It means to welcome someone else 549 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:05,440 because Jesus does and not for any other reason. 550 00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:10,080 More on that in the next point. Jesus says that whoever does 551 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:13,360 this receives him, and whoever receives him receives the 552 00:37:13,360 --> 00:37:16,560 Father. You prove that you receive Jesus 553 00:37:16,720 --> 00:37:20,320 by receiving his people. You prove your love for Jesus by 554 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:23,920 loving his people. You prove that you belong to 555 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:27,400 Jesus by embracing all who belong to him. 556 00:37:28,120 --> 00:37:31,520 That's another way you make yourself least and put yourself 557 00:37:31,520 --> 00:37:34,960 last. So by making a child an example, 558 00:37:34,960 --> 00:37:38,120 Jesus is charging his disciples to reverse their structure of 559 00:37:38,120 --> 00:37:41,320 values to turn their status ladders upside down. 560 00:37:41,520 --> 00:37:45,000 Quit climbing up, because as you do, you're going to pass Jesus, 561 00:37:45,000 --> 00:37:49,760 who's on his way down. Quit striving for status and 562 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:54,120 start giving it out freely. Quit seeking importance and 563 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:57,640 start giving importance to those who have no importance in the 564 00:37:57,640 --> 00:38:04,960 world's eyes. What status ladders are most 565 00:38:04,960 --> 00:38:08,000 popular in the region where we live? 566 00:38:09,800 --> 00:38:12,080 What status ladder do you most want to climb? 567 00:38:13,840 --> 00:38:20,000 What can you do to seek greatness in Jesus's eyes more 568 00:38:20,000 --> 00:38:23,200 than in the eyes of any mere human? 569 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:27,880 The last part of our passage shows us one more test of 570 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:32,400 whether you're a humble servant. It holds one more way to make 571 00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:40,440 yourself last and least point #3 welcome all his servants. 572 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:45,520 Welcome all his servants. That's the message of verses 38 573 00:38:45,960 --> 00:38:48,320 to 41. If you want to embrace the 574 00:38:48,320 --> 00:38:51,640 suffering servant and become a humble servant, you must also 575 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:54,680 welcome all his servants. Start with verse 38. 576 00:38:55,640 --> 00:38:59,360 John said to him, Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons 577 00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,040 in your name and we tried to stop him because he was not 578 00:39:02,040 --> 00:39:05,480 following us. We don't know who this rogue 579 00:39:05,480 --> 00:39:09,160 exorcist is, but I think it's best to understand him as a 580 00:39:09,160 --> 00:39:11,840 genuine follower of Jesus. I don't think this man is 581 00:39:11,840 --> 00:39:14,400 falsely claiming Jesus name, we're just using it as a kind of 582 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:17,160 magic spell. I think the only problem in 583 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:20,520 John's eyes is that this man is not travelling with Jesus 584 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:23,360 disciples. He doesn't belong to their 585 00:39:23,560 --> 00:39:26,560 group. Notice how John describes it. 586 00:39:27,080 --> 00:39:34,160 Because he was not following us. Following us, John? 587 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:40,720 Is it like he has to be your disciple or he can't be Jesus's 588 00:39:40,720 --> 00:39:43,160 disciple? Shouldn't the question be 589 00:39:43,160 --> 00:39:46,920 whether he's following Jesus, not whether he's following us? 590 00:39:47,680 --> 00:39:51,040 Every other time in the Gospel that word following is used. 591 00:39:52,000 --> 00:39:57,400 It's about Jesus, not us. Now, it's more than a little 592 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:02,880 ironic that this man was effectively driving out demons. 593 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:05,680 Remember the previous passage from last Sunday? 594 00:40:05,920 --> 00:40:09,880 The whole inciting incident was that the disciples couldn't do 595 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:12,880 that. So here they see someone 596 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:16,560 succeeding at doing what they failed to do. 597 00:40:16,880 --> 00:40:20,480 And John says, hey, stop it. No more of that, thank you very 598 00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:22,960 much. All because he wasn't officially 599 00:40:22,960 --> 00:40:24,800 part of their group. John. 600 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:30,680 Was apparently trying to protect the disciples in Group 601 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:34,760 advantage. He was trying to preserve their 602 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:38,720 status. Hey, you can't cast out demons. 603 00:40:39,000 --> 00:40:41,920 That's what we do. That's our competitive 604 00:40:41,920 --> 00:40:43,720 advantage. Thank you very much. 605 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:48,200 Stay in your lane, please. Either join our group so we can 606 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:52,040 count your numbers, report them back to HQ, or knock it off. 607 00:40:54,200 --> 00:40:58,520 How does Jesus respond? He gives a command in verse 39. 608 00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:02,640 Do not stop him. And then he gives 3 reasons for 609 00:41:02,640 --> 00:41:06,840 the command in verses 39 to 41, starting in verse 39. 610 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:10,800 But Jesus said do not stop him. For no one who does a mighty 611 00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:13,840 work in My name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of 612 00:41:13,840 --> 00:41:15,800 me. For the one who is not against 613 00:41:15,800 --> 00:41:18,880 us is for us. For truly I say to you, whoever 614 00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:21,760 gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to 615 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:24,240 Christ will by no means lose his reward. 616 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:27,760 I think that first reason in verse 39 is simply a way to say 617 00:41:27,960 --> 00:41:30,520 mark the outward fruit. Notice what he's doing. 618 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:34,120 If he's speaking against demons in my name, he's not going to be 619 00:41:34,120 --> 00:41:39,440 bad mouthing me after in verse 40, Jesus is saying there's only 620 00:41:39,440 --> 00:41:44,000 two teams, the team against Jesus and the team for Jesus. 621 00:41:44,760 --> 00:41:46,280 If you're not on one, you're on the other. 622 00:41:46,880 --> 00:41:51,240 Now, that doesn't mean that it's enough not to consciously oppose 623 00:41:51,320 --> 00:41:54,440 Jesus, as if you somehow get to be with Jesus by default as long 624 00:41:54,440 --> 00:41:58,680 as you don't choose against him. Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus 625 00:41:58,680 --> 00:42:00,760 teaches the same point from the other side. 626 00:42:01,320 --> 00:42:05,200 Like in Matthew 1230. Whoever is not with me is 627 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:10,000 against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 628 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:13,000 We'll come back to verse 41 in a minute. 629 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:17,960 So what's Jesus main point here? It's an extension or application 630 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:22,080 of what he taught in verse 37. Believers in Jesus should 631 00:42:22,080 --> 00:42:25,040 welcome all who believe in Jesus. 632 00:42:25,600 --> 00:42:29,680 Now, right off the bat, we need to acknowledge that in order to 633 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:32,760 welcome other believers in Jesus, we have to be able to 634 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:37,400 define what it means to believe in Jesus and to discern who does 635 00:42:37,480 --> 00:42:40,800 believe in Jesus. Of course we can't judge 636 00:42:40,800 --> 00:42:44,360 people's hearts, and of course our discernment of who is a 637 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:47,040 fellow Christian will never be perfect. 638 00:42:48,360 --> 00:42:52,560 But there are basic moral and doctrinal boundaries to being a 639 00:42:52,560 --> 00:42:56,120 Christian. For instance, if you deny the 640 00:42:56,120 --> 00:42:59,880 resurrection of Jesus, you are not a Christian. 641 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:03,560 The apostle Paul essentially says so in First Corinthians 642 00:43:03,560 --> 00:43:07,280 1517. If Christ has not been raised, 643 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:10,360 your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 644 00:43:10,600 --> 00:43:12,920 It makes no sense and it contradicts all of scripture to 645 00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:15,760 say something like, well, that person really loves Jesus, they 646 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:17,200 just don't believe in the resurrection. 647 00:43:17,760 --> 00:43:22,280 It's not Jesus you're loving if you believe he's still dead. 648 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:25,560 That's a fake Jesus, not the real Jesus. 649 00:43:27,480 --> 00:43:32,120 Believers in Jesus are those who believe the true gospel and 650 00:43:32,120 --> 00:43:34,920 whose lives give evidence of genuine faith and repentance. 651 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:40,600 Now, that said, believers in Jesus should welcome all other 652 00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:44,560 believers in Jesus. One way we should apply this as 653 00:43:44,560 --> 00:43:48,600 a congregation is to cultivate a Catholic spirit toward other 654 00:43:48,600 --> 00:43:51,320 Christians and other churches. Catholic in the sense of 655 00:43:51,360 --> 00:43:54,640 embracing the whole. That's what that word means, 656 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:59,040 having a loving concern for all of Christ's people, whatever 657 00:43:59,040 --> 00:44:02,640 their location or denomination. So as a church, we should 658 00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:06,960 constantly strive to cultivate both conviction and charity. 659 00:44:07,320 --> 00:44:10,920 We want both strong convictions and open arms, and there are 660 00:44:10,920 --> 00:44:14,600 many senses in which having strong convictions helps us have 661 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:18,000 open arms. One way to cultivate both 662 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:21,120 conviction and charity is to try to develop a sense of 663 00:44:21,120 --> 00:44:24,560 theological triage. That's a medical image barred 664 00:44:24,560 --> 00:44:27,920 from the emergency room. Basically discerning how crucial 665 00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:32,280 a given doctrine is. Is an error on a given point 666 00:44:32,400 --> 00:44:35,880 spiritually life threatening? Some are? 667 00:44:37,360 --> 00:44:41,320 Is an error on a given point something that regretfully will 668 00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:44,080 need to result in genuine Christians forming different 669 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:46,160 churches so they can each obey God according to their 670 00:44:46,160 --> 00:44:50,640 convictions? Or is it something we should be 671 00:44:50,640 --> 00:44:54,600 able to disagree about and happily be members of the same 672 00:44:54,600 --> 00:44:56,280 church? I've just laid out three 673 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:57,840 categories. Let me walk through them again 674 00:44:57,840 --> 00:45:00,960 briefly. 3 levels of three theological triage. 675 00:45:00,960 --> 00:45:04,720 Level 1 Issues that are essential for being a Christian. 676 00:45:05,400 --> 00:45:08,200 Issues like believing in the Trinity, the deity of Christ, 677 00:45:08,200 --> 00:45:10,360 the resurrection, the need to repent and believe in order to 678 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:14,760 be saved. Level 2 Issues that are 679 00:45:14,760 --> 00:45:18,160 necessary to agree on in order to have a local church together. 680 00:45:18,640 --> 00:45:21,160 There are issues that genuine Christians will disagree about, 681 00:45:21,760 --> 00:45:23,840 but that we need to agree on in order to form a church. 682 00:45:24,400 --> 00:45:26,680 How should a church be structured? 683 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:29,800 How is authority to be handled in the church? 684 00:45:30,520 --> 00:45:33,240 What about the ordinances of baptism in the Lord's Supper? 685 00:45:33,400 --> 00:45:37,160 How should we do those who should partake of those? 686 00:45:38,480 --> 00:45:42,160 But then the third tier or third category, third level, whatever 687 00:45:42,160 --> 00:45:47,800 word I'm using, issues we can disagree about and still live 688 00:45:47,800 --> 00:45:52,760 together in joyful unity as members of the same church. 689 00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:56,360 Items in this category are so abundant I'll leave it to you to 690 00:45:56,360 --> 00:45:59,400 discuss them over lunch. Items in this category are so 691 00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:04,120 abundant that the apostle Paul has 2 multi chapter discussions. 692 00:46:04,360 --> 00:46:08,920 1 Romans 1415, one of First Corinthians 8 to 10 about issues 693 00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:12,160 where you should be able to disagree and still have unity in 694 00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:16,960 the local church. Beware the temptation of trying 695 00:46:16,960 --> 00:46:22,560 to build up a brand within Christianity or a sub team 696 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:26,240 within Christianity. Don't fall into John's pitfall 697 00:46:26,240 --> 00:46:30,320 of having an in Group we're better mentality as a local 698 00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:32,440 church. How can we strive to avoid those 699 00:46:32,440 --> 00:46:34,560 temptations and pursue catholicity? 700 00:46:35,360 --> 00:46:40,760 One way is to desire as much fellowship and partnership with 701 00:46:40,760 --> 00:46:43,760 those other believers in churches as we can within the 702 00:46:43,760 --> 00:46:45,360 bounds of our shared convictions. 703 00:46:46,200 --> 00:46:51,520 Different degrees of agreement rightly lead to different 704 00:46:51,600 --> 00:46:56,200 degrees of partnership, but we should be looking to do as much 705 00:46:56,200 --> 00:46:59,240 as we can with other believers within those boundaries rather 706 00:46:59,240 --> 00:47:02,280 than using different convictions on secondary matters as just an 707 00:47:02,280 --> 00:47:06,120 excuse to kind of withdraw, not care, be indifferent, neglect 708 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:08,760 other believers. We should also pray for other 709 00:47:08,760 --> 00:47:11,520 believers in other churches. Michael and I do this every week 710 00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:13,880 in our pastoral prayers. We try to make a point of 711 00:47:13,880 --> 00:47:16,360 praying for churches that don't agree with us on every point, 712 00:47:16,520 --> 00:47:19,680 but whose ministries we want to see flourish and glorify God. 713 00:47:20,040 --> 00:47:22,360 We want to celebrate other churches wins. 714 00:47:22,560 --> 00:47:25,000 We want to delight and all the UNC students are being well 715 00:47:25,000 --> 00:47:27,240 discipled as members of Risen Christ Church. 716 00:47:27,400 --> 00:47:29,480 Praise God for that. May there be more. 717 00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:33,280 We want to help and not hinder other churches ministry. 718 00:47:33,280 --> 00:47:40,000 As Jesus said, do not stop him. We're all on Jesus team, so we 719 00:47:40,000 --> 00:47:42,600 especially want to look for ways to promote unity and partnership 720 00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:46,280 with other believers in churches who agree with us on essentials 721 00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:49,320 differ with us on important secondary matters. 722 00:47:50,360 --> 00:47:52,840 We want to be quick to recognize and support the good that other 723 00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:55,160 churches are doing. We shouldn't be about building 724 00:47:55,160 --> 00:47:57,360 up ourselves or our own congregation as much as 725 00:47:57,360 --> 00:48:01,000 possible, but advancing the gospel as much as possible. 726 00:48:02,080 --> 00:48:04,640 One simple, practical application of that point. 727 00:48:05,520 --> 00:48:08,120 We know there can be a variety of reasons why someone would 728 00:48:08,120 --> 00:48:11,000 drive a decent distance to go to a particular church. 729 00:48:11,480 --> 00:48:14,200 But whenever someone starts attending here who's coming to 730 00:48:14,200 --> 00:48:17,040 us from some distance, our elders are quick to point them 731 00:48:17,040 --> 00:48:18,720 to good churches closer to where they live. 732 00:48:18,920 --> 00:48:21,120 Michael and I have had conversations like this with a 733 00:48:21,120 --> 00:48:23,280 number of you. We're happy to have you here. 734 00:48:23,280 --> 00:48:25,840 We just want you to know about other churches close to where 735 00:48:25,840 --> 00:48:28,680 you live. Downtown Raleigh, check out 736 00:48:28,680 --> 00:48:32,400 Hosea Church right by NC State North Raleigh, Tried Christ 737 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:36,320 Covenant or Tabernacle Baptist near Briar Creek by the airport. 738 00:48:36,320 --> 00:48:39,400 Consider Mount Herman Baptist, where, Lord willing, Brian 739 00:48:39,400 --> 00:48:41,320 Miller will be preaching in a couple of weeks to fill in for 740 00:48:41,320 --> 00:48:44,440 their pastor, Andy Owens, Alamance County. 741 00:48:44,440 --> 00:48:47,840 You'll be in good hands with our friends at Grace Reform Baptist 742 00:48:48,360 --> 00:48:51,920 or Hall First Baptist Hall River with the pastor, Justin Seavers. 743 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:58,000 There's many others. Another application of verses 39 744 00:48:58,000 --> 00:49:03,520 to 41 is that the church is not a clique. 745 00:49:04,760 --> 00:49:08,560 Therefore, the church must not be a clique. 746 00:49:09,320 --> 00:49:12,640 How can you have close relationships in the church and 747 00:49:12,640 --> 00:49:17,080 even circles of friends without letting them become cliques? 748 00:49:17,840 --> 00:49:22,520 I think the basic key is to keep the circle open. 749 00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:26,280 Find ways to add and include others. 750 00:49:26,880 --> 00:49:29,680 Initiate with others beyond your natural circle. 751 00:49:29,680 --> 00:49:34,680 Invite others into that circle. Be deliberate to connect new 752 00:49:34,680 --> 00:49:36,760 people with those who are already in your circle. 753 00:49:37,600 --> 00:49:41,960 Act as a catalyst and conduit for friendship in the church. 754 00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:45,920 Delight to share your friends with other believers so they can 755 00:49:45,920 --> 00:49:50,040 become their friends. Don't be a friend hoarder, but a 756 00:49:50,080 --> 00:49:54,400 friendship merchant. It's also important to build 757 00:49:54,400 --> 00:49:56,160 relationships with people who are different from you, 758 00:49:56,640 --> 00:49:58,920 especially with church members who don't have all the same 759 00:49:58,920 --> 00:50:03,200 status signifiers you do. Build friendships across the 760 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:06,600 lines of all kinds of worldly divisions. 761 00:50:08,160 --> 00:50:11,600 One very simple way to do this, if you're coordinating any kind 762 00:50:11,600 --> 00:50:15,760 of group event, invite someone who is not already close with 763 00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:17,120 most of the people who will be coming. 764 00:50:17,880 --> 00:50:20,200 Use your connections to help connect somebody else. 765 00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:29,360 Now as promised, back to verse 41 for truly I say to you, 766 00:50:30,600 --> 00:50:34,040 whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to 767 00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:37,000 Christ will by no means lose his reward. 768 00:50:38,600 --> 00:50:43,440 This is parallel to verse 37. It's about welcoming other 769 00:50:43,440 --> 00:50:45,440 believers because Christ welcomes them. 770 00:50:45,680 --> 00:50:47,640 And here the welcome is a small act of charity. 771 00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:52,320 Jesus sees, Jesus knows and Jesus will reward all those who 772 00:50:52,320 --> 00:50:54,760 receive his people because they are his people. 773 00:50:55,200 --> 00:50:58,400 He is not talking about non believers having charity toward 774 00:50:58,400 --> 00:51:00,760 Christians. He's talking about his people 775 00:51:01,160 --> 00:51:06,360 caring for one another. Now, 1 proof that you've become 776 00:51:06,360 --> 00:51:11,120 a humble servant because you embrace the suffering servant is 777 00:51:11,120 --> 00:51:13,280 that you welcome all His servants. 778 00:51:14,560 --> 00:51:19,520 One last note on verse 41. You have to notice who's doing 779 00:51:19,520 --> 00:51:22,360 the caring and who's receiving it. 780 00:51:23,760 --> 00:51:27,720 Jesus is putting his disciples. He's anticipating a scenario in 781 00:51:27,720 --> 00:51:32,000 which they will be in need of charity. 782 00:51:32,920 --> 00:51:36,960 Whoever gives you a cup of cold water. 783 00:51:38,120 --> 00:51:42,400 He's imagining these disciples being so vulnerable and exposed 784 00:51:42,600 --> 00:51:46,240 they cannot even get their own water to drink. 785 00:51:47,200 --> 00:51:50,120 What would put them into such a position? 786 00:51:51,680 --> 00:51:54,600 I'll tell you. Fulfilling the Great Commission, 787 00:51:55,760 --> 00:52:01,040 taking risks, suffering losses, leaving comfort, leaving home, 788 00:52:01,040 --> 00:52:05,520 leaving livelihoods to go and make Jesus known where he is not 789 00:52:05,520 --> 00:52:07,080 known. That is what will put these 790 00:52:07,080 --> 00:52:11,880 disciples into the position of needing to beg somebody for even 791 00:52:11,880 --> 00:52:16,520 a glass of cold water. They will suffer the loss of 792 00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:23,920 status, the loss of support, even the loss of sustenance in 793 00:52:23,920 --> 00:52:29,400 order to make Jesus known. And in some way or other, that's 794 00:52:29,400 --> 00:52:33,920 what all Christians do. We make ourselves little in 795 00:52:33,920 --> 00:52:39,120 order to make much of Him. We gladly endure hardship in 796 00:52:39,120 --> 00:52:42,840 order to lead others to Him. We make ourselves weak and 797 00:52:42,840 --> 00:52:47,480 vulnerable in order to try to lead lost sinners to the Savior 798 00:52:47,480 --> 00:52:52,720 who died to save them. What does Jesus say he'll do? 799 00:52:54,600 --> 00:52:57,240 He'll reward. He secures it. 800 00:52:57,560 --> 00:53:03,280 He guarantees it shall not lose his reward. 801 00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:05,520 He'll reward the one who gives the water. 802 00:53:06,480 --> 00:53:09,480 And of course, by implication, he'll reward the one who needs 803 00:53:09,480 --> 00:53:13,440 the water. What can motivate you to suffer 804 00:53:13,440 --> 00:53:17,400 for Jesus now? What can motivate you to make 805 00:53:17,400 --> 00:53:23,840 yourself least and last now? What can motivate you to give up 806 00:53:23,840 --> 00:53:29,160 as needed, as demanded by the Gospel, any and every status 807 00:53:29,160 --> 00:53:34,400 quest? You're on the promise that a day 808 00:53:34,400 --> 00:53:37,440 is coming when Jesus will reverse the loss of status 809 00:53:37,440 --> 00:53:41,240 you've suffered for his sake. A day is coming when Jesus 810 00:53:41,240 --> 00:53:44,200 himself will exalt you. A day is coming when Jesus 811 00:53:44,200 --> 00:53:49,240 himself will reward you beyond all you can deserve, and we'll 812 00:53:49,240 --> 00:53:51,840 reward you beyond all you can imagine. 813 00:53:53,760 --> 00:54:00,880 Come, rejoice now, Oh my soul, for His love is my reward. 814 00:54:01,720 --> 00:54:11,310 Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we pray You'd 815 00:54:11,310 --> 00:54:15,310 enable each of us to make ourselves last of all and 816 00:54:15,310 --> 00:54:19,070 servant of all, not to earn your love, but because you've loved 817 00:54:19,070 --> 00:54:23,160 us, not to earn your favor but because of your grace. 818 00:54:24,280 --> 00:54:30,680 Father, would you shape and form in all of our hearts the shape 819 00:54:30,680 --> 00:54:38,120 of the cross, of willingly lowering ourselves so that at 820 00:54:38,120 --> 00:54:39,640 the proper time you would exalt us? 821 00:54:40,560 --> 00:54:43,440 We pray in Jesus name, Amen.