1 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:06,720 Don't you love singing about the blood? 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:11,160 It reaches to the highest mountains and it flows to the 3 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,640 lowest valleys. Well, before I ask you to turn 4 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,760 me to mark chapter 10, where we're going to resume where we 5 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,760 last left off, I'm going to ask you to turn to Luke Chapter one, 6 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:25,080 beginning in verse 15. And really, just verse 15 is 7 00:00:25,080 --> 00:00:27,720 what I want to bring to our attention here. 8 00:00:32,560 --> 00:00:37,360 This is spoken of not the Christ, but the forerunner of 9 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,560 Christ, John the Baptist. And there is a statement made 10 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:46,320 here about his destiny, about his calling, about who he is, 11 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:51,080 that I think is convicting and encouraging at the same time. 12 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:55,800 And Luke 115 we read. For he will be great before the 13 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:59,800 Lord, and he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be 14 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:03,760 filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. 15 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,560 It's that first part of verse 15 that I want to highlight. 16 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:16,160 For he will be great before men, for the world, before Herod, 17 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:19,840 before the synagogues in the temple. 18 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:23,880 No, he will be great before the Lord. 19 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:28,400 Other translations would say he will be great in the sight of 20 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,400 the Lord. Now there are many people who 21 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:34,840 are ambitious in life, many people who are even ambitions 22 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:36,680 within, ambitious within Christendom. 23 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,080 And they want to be great, they want to do great things, they 24 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,600 want to make great impact. But. 25 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:48,680 For what purpose? And what measure are you using 26 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,600 in terms of the evaluation of the greatness that you're 27 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,200 seeking after? If we're not careful, we can be 28 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:58,640 people who seek after greatness before everyone except for the 29 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,360 Lord. But that was not true of this 30 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:04,360 man of God. He would be great, and though he 31 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:08,039 was acknowledged and though he was respected in many ways by 32 00:02:08,039 --> 00:02:13,440 others, his preoccupation and God's longing was that he would 33 00:02:13,440 --> 00:02:17,560 be great before the Lord. And the reason why I bring this 34 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,480 to us is because as we come to our main text in Mark chapter 35 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,920 10, we're going to see these disciples of Jesus who also 36 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:27,920 wanted to pursue greatness, Greatness in Christ's Kingdom. 37 00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:31,560 But for all the wrong reasons. And their understanding of 38 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:33,960 greatness was so warped, so skewed. 39 00:02:34,880 --> 00:02:38,520 And here, Christ the Great Teacher is going to teach them 40 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:43,600 yet again of what true greatness looks like, how the Lord esteems 41 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,280 greatness. But before we even get to that 42 00:02:46,280 --> 00:02:49,400 reminder in this text, there's so many other things that we 43 00:02:49,400 --> 00:02:53,440 have to explore. So turn with me to mark chapter 44 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:57,720 10 beginning in verse 35. What has been allotted to us 45 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:02,720 this afternoon are 10 verses, and the spiritual banquet that 46 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:07,480 has been prepared for us by the Holy Spirit has been provided in 47 00:03:07,480 --> 00:03:12,960 the format of a dialogue between the Lord Jesus and a family. 48 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,920 And as you can imagine, in preparing a text where the text 49 00:03:16,920 --> 00:03:21,080 is primarily a conversation between 2:00 or more parties, it 50 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:25,520 can be very challenging to try to dissect and provide these 51 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:30,560 truths in sections. But prayfully, there are 4 52 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,840 headings that I want to present to you that will hopefully help 53 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:40,440 gather our gleanings from these verses and categorize them so 54 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:44,240 they can be memorable for us. So let's read not all these 10 55 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:47,560 verses, but the first few, and then I want to tell you what we 56 00:03:47,560 --> 00:03:50,320 are going to be exploring under these headings. 57 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:52,280 And then we'll ask for the Holy Spirit's help. 58 00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:57,800 In verse 35 of Mark, Chapter 10, we read, and James and John, the 59 00:03:57,800 --> 00:04:03,880 sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, Teacher, we 60 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:06,640 want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. 61 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:10,600 And he said to them, what do you want me to do for you? 62 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:15,840 And they said to him, grant us to sit, one at your right hand 63 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:18,279 and one at your left in your glory. 64 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,400 Jesus said to them, you do not know what you are asking. 65 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:28,040 Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized 66 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,640 with a baptism with which I am baptized? 67 00:04:31,360 --> 00:04:33,920 And they said to him, we are able. 68 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:39,040 And Jesus said to them, the cup that I drink, you will drink, 69 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:42,640 and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be 70 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,640 baptized. But to sit on my right hand or 71 00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,920 my left is not mine to grant. But it is for those for whom it 72 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,320 has been prepared. Lord, we ask for the Spirit of 73 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:58,680 wisdom and revelation. May these truths, by the power 74 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,880 of your Holy Spirit, fortify. Us. 75 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:07,400 In our faith, in our consecration to you, and even in 76 00:05:07,400 --> 00:05:13,080 this text, may you peel away any hindrance, any veil that blinds 77 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:17,080 us or blurs the vision of the absolute beauty of the Lord 78 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:20,840 Jesus Christ. Help us see the Christ. 79 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:25,440 Help us see the Son of God. Help us see the personal Savior. 80 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:28,920 Even in these verses we pray in Jesus name. 81 00:05:29,280 --> 00:05:33,320 Amen. I want to speak to you in this 82 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:39,560 text about four things. The first thing is the request. 83 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:46,360 The second thing is the rebuke. The third thing is. 84 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:54,520 The ruling and the last thing is the reminder, The request, the 85 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:58,520 rebuke, the ruling, the reminder. 86 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:03,880 In the 1st 2 verses we have the request of two disciples, James 87 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,240 and John, the sons of Zebury. They came up to the Lord. 88 00:06:06,560 --> 00:06:09,600 And they asked him. They asked him for a guarantee. 89 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,840 They asked him for an approval for a particular request that 90 00:06:12,840 --> 00:06:14,680 they did not make known just yet. 91 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:19,680 And if we're not careful, we can pluck this verse or these two 92 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:23,880 verses out of its context and use it as a proof text to 93 00:06:23,880 --> 00:06:27,480 encourage believers to be bold and approaching Christ in 94 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:30,040 prayer. And there are many places in the 95 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:32,240 Bible where you and I are encouraged to have confidence 96 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,920 before the throne of grace, but this is not an appropriate 97 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:40,400 example for that. This is actually a bad example 98 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:44,080 of what prayer is about. Again, you have these two 99 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:47,240 disciples who come to Christ and they ask the Lord for a 100 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:52,200 guarantee for an approval even before making their request 101 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,440 known. Did you catch that Lord? 102 00:06:55,440 --> 00:06:57,760 Would you just say yes to what we're about to ask you? 103 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:05,200 And there is no specific desire being made known here, and it's 104 00:07:05,200 --> 00:07:09,760 an attempted pursuit to have Christ agree and to consent 105 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:12,640 regardless of the nature of the request. 106 00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:15,840 And so instead of this being an example of what prayer should 107 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:19,240 look like, this is what we see. This is an. 108 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:22,080 Illustration of what many people mistakenly believe prayer is 109 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:29,360 about that if I just come to Jesus and package my wishes in 110 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,240 faith filled prayer. He's going to give me. 111 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:39,000 Whatever I ask, and no, that's not how prayer works. 112 00:07:39,600 --> 00:07:42,800 It doesn't matter if you tag that request within Jesus name. 113 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:46,000 It doesn't matter if you pray in the King James. 114 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:48,800 It doesn't matter how long you pray. 115 00:07:49,400 --> 00:07:53,360 The confidence in our prayer is not that Jesus is our genie. 116 00:07:54,600 --> 00:07:59,480 The confidence in our prayer is what First John 5 verse 14 says, 117 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:03,680 where the Apostle of love spells out the confidence and the 118 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:08,000 contingency of our confidence in the place of prayer, he writes 119 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:11,640 in first John 514. And this is the confidence that 120 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:16,920 we have toward him, that if we ask according anything according 121 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:24,040 to his will, he hears us ask, ask anything, ask freely, ask 122 00:08:24,040 --> 00:08:27,760 with holy courage, ask. And this is something that we 123 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:30,480 should be confident about. We can't approach this mighty 124 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:33,240 God. We can come with heavy hearts. 125 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:38,039 We can come with exciting ideas. We can come before Him and ask 126 00:08:38,039 --> 00:08:43,080 anything upon this contingency if it's in accordance to His 127 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:46,960 will. And so do you want to know how 128 00:08:46,960 --> 00:08:48,600 you can grow in confidence and. Prayer. 129 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:50,800 It's very simple. Grow in your knowledge of the 130 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:54,560 will of God. Be familiar with what he 131 00:08:54,560 --> 00:08:58,680 desires. Be acquainted with what his 132 00:08:58,680 --> 00:09:04,960 promises are. No down deep inside what it is 133 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:09,720 that He is willing to grant. I would even say look at the 134 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:14,120 past records of what the Lord was willing to back up with His 135 00:09:14,120 --> 00:09:17,720 power and His provision. If you want to grow in 136 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:21,600 confidence in the place of prayer, you must also feed into 137 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:25,320 your understanding of the will of God, the mind of God. 138 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,760 You know, knowing the Bible feeds many things, and perhaps 139 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:32,640 you did not know this, but it also feeds the courage and the 140 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:36,400 precision of your intercession, of your supplication. 141 00:09:37,560 --> 00:09:40,560 Of you coming before him and believing that he will hear you. 142 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:44,960 And this is where James and John went wrong. 143 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:50,200 They wanted the stamp of approval before they even gave. 144 00:09:51,360 --> 00:09:54,120 And understood if the request was in alignment with his will. 145 00:09:54,120 --> 00:09:57,080 And the Lord Lord's response to the request confirms this, 146 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:00,000 right? Look here in the the same verse 147 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:03,360 we read where they ask in the next verse 36, he said to them. 148 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:04,760 What do you want me to do for you? 149 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:07,400 He didn't say. Yeah, you got it. 150 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:09,560 He didn't say. I'll do as you say. 151 00:10:09,560 --> 00:10:13,200 No, no, no, no. He's taking this opportunity to 152 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,960 train his disciples to be specific with our prayers, yes, 153 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:22,280 but also to compare their desires and to line it up with 154 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:25,800 the mind of God. So let's talk about what you 155 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,360 want. What do you want me to do for 156 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:29,520 you? Say it. 157 00:10:29,760 --> 00:10:32,840 The Lord knew. The Lord knew what they wanted. 158 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:36,160 He's all knowing. But it's for them to confess. 159 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:39,480 It's for them to blurt it out. It's for them to bring it to the 160 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:43,160 light and to bring it before the presence of Christ, to see if it 161 00:10:43,160 --> 00:10:46,760 actually holds weight, if it's legitimate, if it's appropriate. 162 00:10:47,480 --> 00:10:52,120 You see, the Lord in His wisdom and love must if He loves you 163 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:57,520 and if He is all wise, then he must consider your motivations 164 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:02,320 and mine your goals. And mine He has to, He has to 165 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,520 screen them. No good parent would give their 166 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:08,040 child anything that they ask, and it would be good for us for 167 00:11:08,040 --> 00:11:13,160 time to time to step back and take the principle of Jesus 168 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:15,360 question here and apply it to ourselves. 169 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:19,080 What is it that you truly desire of the Lord? 170 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:24,320 What do your prayers look like? What do they sound like? 171 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:26,720 What's the theme of your request? 172 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:31,760 And then take it further and ask why you're asking those things 173 00:11:32,880 --> 00:11:35,080 again. The Lord knew what they wanted, 174 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:38,800 but He wanted them to investigate further. 175 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:42,600 He wanted them to seek it and understand it in a deeper way. 176 00:11:42,600 --> 00:11:45,120 Because what you pray about reveals a lot about. 177 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,080 You. I don't know if you know that. 178 00:11:48,880 --> 00:11:51,120 But what you? Pray about reveals much about 179 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:57,520 you and he wants them to look at what they're asking for and to 180 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:00,800 from there ask why am I asking for this? 181 00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:03,760 Why am I? Seeking the Lord for this, and 182 00:12:05,560 --> 00:12:08,040 again, prayer will reveal what you believe about God. 183 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:11,080 Some people don't pray. You know what that reveals? 184 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:13,440 They don't believe God. They don't want intimacy with 185 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:15,000 God. They don't actually trust that 186 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:18,240 he can make a way. And some people do pray, but 187 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,320 again, what they are presenting before the Lord says what they 188 00:12:21,320 --> 00:12:24,720 believe about God, and even more, what they believe about 189 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:28,280 themselves. And the disciples are not 190 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:30,640 hesitant to make the request plainly known. 191 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:34,640 Look at verse 37 again. And they said to him, grant us 192 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:38,800 to sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your 193 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:41,920 glory. This seems like a random 194 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,320 invocation, right? It seems like it's coming out of 195 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,800 nowhere, but it's not random and especially when you compare it 196 00:12:48,120 --> 00:12:50,960 to the parallel account found in Matthew chapter 20. 197 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,240 In Matthew 20 you have the same scene spelled out but with 198 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:56,840 different details. But before we even visit Matthew 199 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:00,320 chapter 20, you have to remember what happened in Matthew 19. 200 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,920 Jesus promised the disciples that this this group of 12 201 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:09,360 something before we come to this moment, and we touched on this a 202 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,120 few weeks ago, but let's let's visit it again for the sake of 203 00:13:12,280 --> 00:13:15,200 remembrance. Matthew 19, verse 28. 204 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:20,120 Turn your Bibles there and look at this glorious assurance that 205 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:24,120 Christ gives to these apostles and training what awaits them in 206 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,400 the millennial glory. What is to come for their 207 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,960 service, The reward that is prepared. 208 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:37,960 In Matthew 1928, Jesus said to them, truly, I say to you, in 209 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:42,200 the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious 210 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:47,120 throne, you who have followed me will also sit on 12 Thrones 211 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:52,120 judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Again, you got to fit that 212 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:55,800 somewhere in your theology. Is there going to be judgment? 213 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,000 Is there going to be such administration in the eternal 214 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:01,040 realm? No, it doesn't make sense. 215 00:14:01,440 --> 00:14:04,120 And we know that in this lifetime, in in this world, in 216 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:08,040 this age, the disciples are not sitting on 12 Thrones in Israel. 217 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,360 They will one day when Christ comes back and sets up His 218 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:15,400 throne in Jerusalem. And so the disciples hear this. 219 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,280 They go, no way we got a throne with our name on it. 220 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:23,200 Each of us are going to get a throne, and you would think that 221 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:27,440 would suffice as such an exaltation to be granted to 222 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:31,640 these unworthy fishermen and tax collectors and other blue collar 223 00:14:31,640 --> 00:14:36,120 folk. But James and John and hearing 224 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:39,000 about the nature of the reward, look at each other. 225 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:41,800 I think we're better than these other guys. 226 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,720 What do you think, John? I like the way you're thinking, 227 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,560 James. I think we are better. 228 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:52,720 And so here they are taking in the promise of Christ, and 229 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:56,360 they're mixing it with the lust for esteem and fame and 230 00:14:56,360 --> 00:15:00,000 authority. And that's that's a bad recipe. 231 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:06,840 And what's now cooking in their hearts is this audacity to 232 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:11,080 approach Christ and to ask him for the highest seats. 233 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:18,760 To be the closest to him to be even ruling not just above these 234 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:23,920 tribes but above the other apostles, we want to sit at your 235 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,600 right and at your left. And here's what's so complicated 236 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:32,040 about this request, because in a positive way, it reveals their 237 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,880 faith, is it not? They believe that Jesus Christ 238 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:39,360 is the Messiah. The nature of this request shows 239 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:43,360 that they actually trust that he will rule and reign, that he is 240 00:15:43,360 --> 00:15:45,520 the one that they have been waiting for. 241 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:52,440 But at the same time, with this declaration of faith, you have 242 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:57,760 their hearts that are polluted and muddied by selfish ambition 243 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:01,560 and wanting to take advantage of already the fact that they are 244 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,040 close to Christ, part of that inner circle with Peter, right? 245 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:09,880 They're taking advantage of that, and they want greater 246 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:11,920 leadership. They want to be served. 247 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:15,560 They want shinier crowns, so to speak. 248 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,880 They want more, and for all the wrong reasons. 249 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,840 And here's the lesson that we can take from this request, this 250 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:27,200 mingling of faith and flesh. You can have faith and still act 251 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:32,200 in the flesh. You can't have sincere faith and 252 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,960 live unrepentantly in the flesh. But let me, my brother, and my 253 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,600 sister give you a friendly reminder of what the disciples 254 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,160 of Jesus Christ. I'm not talking about the 12. 255 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:43,920 I'm talking about disciples of Christ today are capable of. 256 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,560 You can have good, solid doctrine. 257 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:50,600 You can believe the right things and still say, do and think 258 00:16:50,880 --> 00:16:55,120 contrary to your convictions. We believe Christ is going to 259 00:16:55,120 --> 00:16:58,240 rule and reign, but we're puffed with pride. 260 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:00,680 Is that possible? Absolutely. 261 00:17:00,680 --> 00:17:04,280 So don't get surprised when disciples of Jesus disappoint. 262 00:17:05,520 --> 00:17:10,760 The original guys are disappointing us and and you 263 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:13,319 want to throw in the towel because you're disappointed by 264 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:17,160 some people in the church, some people who bear the name of 265 00:17:17,160 --> 00:17:20,560 Christ. I learned here that you can you 266 00:17:20,560 --> 00:17:24,760 can have faith and still be fleshly to an extent. 267 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:30,800 And we look at this and we're ready to look at others and be 268 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:33,240 like, OK, that makes sense of why so and so acts that way. 269 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:37,240 No, I look at this and I say, Lord Jesus, cleanse me. 270 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:41,960 Cleanse my heart from self-interest as I pursue 271 00:17:41,960 --> 00:17:45,920 spiritual things. Cleanse my heart from selfish 272 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:50,920 ambition and pride as I seek to serve you and your people. 273 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:53,880 I don't want to just be pure my doctrine. 274 00:17:53,880 --> 00:17:59,240 I want to be pure in my life. These guys got it all twisted 275 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,000 and if you think it's bad now, it only gets worse when you 276 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:06,280 consider the wider context. James and John are not the only 277 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:09,920 ones in on this ploy. I told you where the parallel 278 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:12,440 account was, right? Matthew chapter 20 turned there 279 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:20,200 and look at another character in this story, Matthew 20, and look 280 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:25,000 at verse 20. This is the mirroring account in 281 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:30,200 Matthew 20 verse 20. And here's what we read Then the 282 00:18:30,200 --> 00:18:37,400 mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons and 283 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,800 kneeling before him, she asked him for something. 284 00:18:43,120 --> 00:18:46,160 So just isn't James and John here? 285 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:51,160 We got mom on the scene. How did this happen? 286 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:58,960 According to Matthew, there is another person to consider and 287 00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:01,480 obviously she agreed to this and she believed that her sons were 288 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:03,400 justified in asking for this right? 289 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:06,560 And at first, it doesn't seem clear where this idea 290 00:19:06,560 --> 00:19:08,160 originated. Did it come from the boys, or 291 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,360 did it come from Mom? I'm under the persuasion that 292 00:19:11,360 --> 00:19:13,680 when you consider the weight of evidence that it started with 293 00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:17,560 James and John, you see this cycling of who wants to be the 294 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:19,840 greatest in many of their conversations throughout the 295 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,160 Gospels. And if that is the case, and 296 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,440 this reveals a couple of things, the first thing that it reveals 297 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,880 is that one of the ugly manifestations of pride is that 298 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:30,240 it finds no problem taking advantage of others. 299 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:35,320 Pride takes prisoners. And how sad it is that these 300 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:40,600 young men felt it appropriate to recruit their mother on the 301 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:44,360 scheme and to tell their mother, Mom, we need you to do something 302 00:19:44,360 --> 00:19:47,280 for us. You're an elder woman. 303 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:51,800 You're obviously respected by virtue of age, and so would you 304 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,320 go to Jesus? And would you ask him if we can 305 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,120 sit on the right and left of his throne? 306 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:00,760 And here's this poor mother who now comes before the Lord and 307 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:05,440 she kneels before him. We read, she even, she even uses 308 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:13,680 the mask of worship and reverence and adoration, which 309 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:15,880 is a picture of how we can use worship and thinking we can 310 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:17,000 manipulate. The will of God. 311 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:21,840 You can't manipulate God. And so here's this mother now 312 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,240 kneeling before him and asking him for the same thing that 313 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:27,400 we've just read here in Mark chapter 10. 314 00:20:29,840 --> 00:20:32,800 Self promotion hurts other people. 315 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:39,000 Did you hear me? Self promotion will always hurt 316 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:41,640 relationships, not just the mother. 317 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:43,480 Look at this lo that they brought her to. 318 00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:46,760 But what would this do for the other 10 apostles? 319 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,480 We read later on that they were indignant in verse 41 for the 320 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:52,560 wrong reasons. But this had the potential to 321 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:57,080 sever relationships. And so we see here that there is 322 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:01,640 pride, and pride takes prisoners and it wounds and it bruises 323 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:03,640 relationships. That has no problem stepping 324 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:09,480 over others, using others, bulldozing over others so that 325 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,800 you can satisfy that lust. But there's a second. 326 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,000 Thing to learn here with the presence of this mother. 327 00:21:16,840 --> 00:21:20,920 She's a disappointing example of a parent, isn't she? 328 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:24,120 How did you even agree to this? You're the mother. 329 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:29,680 A Middle Eastern mother. How did you agree to this? 330 00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:33,360 How did you succumb to this scheme? 331 00:21:33,800 --> 00:21:39,280 How did you give in? And remember, this mother is not 332 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:42,160 just a random person. She herself is a follower of 333 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:45,000 Jesus Christ. I encourage you to go to the 334 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:47,880 last portions of the book of Matthew in your own time and 335 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:52,120 read of the woman who are there standing at a distance from the 336 00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:54,520 cross. And the mother of the sons of 337 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:58,960 Zebedee was present. She followed Christ. 338 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:02,560 She loved the Lord. She believed the Lord. 339 00:22:02,800 --> 00:22:06,400 So she had an understanding of the will of God, of the 340 00:22:06,400 --> 00:22:09,480 character of of God in the person of Jesus Christ. 341 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:16,520 She wasn't held hostage. She agreed, obviously, when she 342 00:22:16,520 --> 00:22:20,600 should have redirected and she should have corrected, and she 343 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,040 should have trained her boys not to think like this. 344 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:25,800 And when I meditate on this, I thought to myself, there are 345 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:29,560 cases when the fleshliness of some is the result of the 346 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:34,400 failure of parents who did not lovingly and wisely redirect the 347 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:39,240 murky mindsets of those who have been entrusted to them to 348 00:22:39,240 --> 00:22:42,520 disciple your kids. And when you see the way they're 349 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:44,560 thinking about God and the way they're thinking about life, 350 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:50,160 it's your duty to lovingly, wisely, carefully, yes, to step 351 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:52,800 in and say, son, daughter, you're not thinking right here. 352 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:55,320 You can't force your kids to do anything. 353 00:22:55,760 --> 00:22:57,240 You can't be legalistic with your kids. 354 00:22:57,240 --> 00:22:58,520 You're going to. You're going to turn them off in 355 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,120 another way. But there is a healthy 356 00:23:01,120 --> 00:23:05,240 responsibility, an approach that must be made to say you're not 357 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,400 thinking right here, and it's my duty, given by God to speak into 358 00:23:08,400 --> 00:23:10,080 your life as long as you live here. 359 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:14,200 I have to say this is not right, this is not right. 360 00:23:14,280 --> 00:23:16,120 And if they're old enough, you step away and let them make 361 00:23:16,120 --> 00:23:18,000 their own choice. But you do what you need to do 362 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:21,640 to speak truth to them. It's not the youth pastor 363 00:23:21,640 --> 00:23:23,360 pastor's job to raise your children. 364 00:23:25,120 --> 00:23:29,560 Parents, if you expect your children to get truth one hour 365 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:33,400 or two out of a week, it's not going to cut it with the 366 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:37,160 avalanche of filth that they are fighting off every single day. 367 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:41,440 And so we see these two come up to their mother and somehow she 368 00:23:41,440 --> 00:23:43,200 gives in and it reminds me of David. 369 00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:45,560 We've been studying about David's life and now we're in 370 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,720 Solomon's life. And this verse always rings in 371 00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:51,680 the back of my mind whenever I consider Biblical parenthood. 372 00:23:52,120 --> 00:23:54,840 In First Kings chapter one, verse 6, when we speak about 373 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:58,560 Adonijah who tried to just do what James and John are doing in 374 00:23:58,560 --> 00:24:01,920 his own world, trying to seize the throne from Solomon thinking 375 00:24:01,920 --> 00:24:04,120 that he deserves it, even this is crazy. 376 00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:07,360 He even knew that it was the Lord's will for Solomon to be 377 00:24:07,360 --> 00:24:12,920 the king and he still wanted it. And then the Holy Spirit writes 378 00:24:12,920 --> 00:24:16,840 this down in the beginning of this book to instruct US1. 379 00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:21,400 Of the failures that led to this man to believe this about 380 00:24:21,400 --> 00:24:24,080 himself. First Kings 1/6. 381 00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:30,520 His father had never at any time displeased him by asking why 382 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:34,880 have you done thus and so. David was a great king. 383 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:41,040 He was a bad dad. David was a worship leader, but 384 00:24:41,040 --> 00:24:43,360 he couldn't lead most of his children to worship the true 385 00:24:43,360 --> 00:24:48,360 God. He never displeased them. 386 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:50,600 He never wanted to step on their toes. 387 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:52,120 He never wanted to ruin their plans. 388 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:57,080 Whatever was in David's mind, the Holy Spirit tells us that 389 00:24:57,360 --> 00:24:59,880 there was a contribution of his negligence that led to the 390 00:24:59,880 --> 00:25:07,600 monster that Azanijah was. I know what some of you might be 391 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:09,440 thinking. Where are your kids for you to 392 00:25:09,440 --> 00:25:12,760 be preaching to us, preacher? I understand, but I don't preach 393 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:14,280 from experience. I preach from the Bible. 394 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:17,880 And if you think this is all disappointing, it actually gets 395 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:21,200 worse. I'm sorry, this actually gets 396 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:23,560 worse. And when you consider the wider 397 00:25:23,560 --> 00:25:26,880 context again, you can disconnect 35 to 37 from Mark 398 00:25:26,880 --> 00:25:29,440 chapter 10. And you can still make a case 399 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:32,400 for the shortcoming of these disciples. 400 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:34,720 But consider where it has been placed. 401 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,160 And when you consider where it has been placed, then you will 402 00:25:37,160 --> 00:25:40,960 understand the insensitivity and the impudence, the lack of 403 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:43,760 respect of these two. Did we forget what happened 404 00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:46,640 right before James and John approached Christ to ask for 405 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:48,800 this? Let me remind you of Mark 406 00:25:49,040 --> 00:25:53,280 chapter 10 again in verse 34. Jesus telling them what's about 407 00:25:53,280 --> 00:25:56,080 to happen in a few days in Jerusalem, he says and they will 408 00:25:56,080 --> 00:26:00,000 mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him, and after 409 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:05,600 three days he will rise. He told them of his death, his 410 00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:09,240 suffering, his resurrection. And this is the response of 411 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:12,920 James and John. Instead of being moved by the 412 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:17,280 humility of Jesus Christ, instead of being humbled by how 413 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:21,160 their mindset and their belief system of the Messiah was not 414 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:23,520 complete. And to ask further questions 415 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:27,960 about what this means, they're so preoccupied with themselves. 416 00:26:29,080 --> 00:26:31,880 They're so caught up about how they can secure their own future 417 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,480 and how they can be promoted using the name of Jesus. 418 00:26:36,320 --> 00:26:39,200 This is so heartbreaking. And again, I don't bring this to 419 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,920 our attention so that we can find more reasons to belittle 420 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:43,960 the disciples. I bring this to our attention so 421 00:26:43,960 --> 00:26:49,520 that with this mounting, devastating, heartbreaking 422 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:54,520 attitude of these men, you see this ray of light of the 423 00:26:54,520 --> 00:26:59,360 absolute patience of the Lord Jesus Christ, how long-suffering 424 00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:02,400 He is to deal with these kind of disciples again. 425 00:27:02,400 --> 00:27:03,680 You read it. You read this first. 426 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:05,480 What do you want me to do for you? 427 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:09,960 You can see that as the Lord trying to have them cough up 428 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:12,000 what they're saying. We can also see this the Lord 429 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:14,640 willing to engage in conversation as a teaching tool. 430 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:20,280 Willing to still manage the immaturity of these 12. 431 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:26,040 Willing to still patiently work with them, willing to still walk 432 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:30,480 with them and love them and train them and rewire them. 433 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:33,520 Willing. And if you're hearing this 434 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:37,080 message today, no matter where you're at in life, and you are 435 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:40,280 discouraged because you are a person who knows what is true, 436 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:43,560 like these disciples did, but still find yourself in some 437 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:47,920 areas struggling in the flesh, Do not let your discouragement 438 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:50,520 cause you to be distant from the refiner. 439 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:56,520 Don't let your flesh and the struggle against the flesh pull 440 00:27:56,520 --> 00:28:00,560 you away from the master. I see a patient Christ here. 441 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:04,560 I see a Christ here reminds me of the word of the Lord in 442 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:08,560 Malachi chapter 3 verse 3, where we're told in there very 443 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:13,360 specifically that the Lord who is ready to purify a remnant 444 00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:18,520 among Israel. Says there that he will sit to 445 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:22,440 refine them. Doesn't it say that he will sit 446 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:23,920 Notice? It doesn't say he will stand. 447 00:28:25,440 --> 00:28:29,280 He will sit Implying what? Patience. 448 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:33,600 A willingness to remain and stay there. 449 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,960 In what process? In the process of purifying you 450 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:41,960 and me. Is much more patient than you 451 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:44,280 can imagine. I find with genuine, 452 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:47,000 wholehearted believers that they are less patient than Christ is 453 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:49,480 with their growth and their sanctification. 454 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:52,400 But here's the Lord, Here's what we hear. 455 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:57,280 He will sit and he will refine. He's slow to get up. 456 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:04,960 He's slow to give up. And this is the Lord for the 457 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:06,960 rest of this chapter. Who's willing to engage with 458 00:29:06,960 --> 00:29:13,600 these stubborn slow to believe, slow to get it again and again? 459 00:29:13,600 --> 00:29:17,560 What I found in my study of the Gospels is a shepherd who loves 460 00:29:17,560 --> 00:29:23,360 his sheep, All these sheep that wander away, the sheep that 461 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:26,360 takes so much time and attention from someone. 462 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,080 That's Christ. No wonder he uses that language. 463 00:29:29,080 --> 00:29:31,080 So this is all under the request. 464 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:35,480 But now we come to the rebuke. A loving leader will rebuke. 465 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:41,040 A loving shepherd will at times wound his sheep so that they can 466 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:42,680 learn. And Jesus said to them in verse 467 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:46,200 38, you don't know what you're asking. 468 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:50,720 Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with 469 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:52,480 the baptism with which I am baptized? 470 00:29:52,480 --> 00:29:54,280 I love the first part of verse 38. 471 00:29:54,320 --> 00:29:57,760 You do not know what you are asking. 472 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:00,520 It was true the disciples, and it's true for many disciples 473 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:06,720 today. You don't really know the extent 474 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:10,520 of your request, do you, James and John, They didn't. 475 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:14,440 And I would say that some of our supplications that we make 476 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:18,920 suffer from severe ignorance, ignorance of the wider 477 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:20,920 implications of being granted such a thing. 478 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:22,680 Ignorance. Of how what we think to be a 479 00:30:22,680 --> 00:30:26,960 positive provision, whatever kind of provision, maybe, can 480 00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,920 actually bring more harm and hindrance than help and 481 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:34,120 happiness. And you and I should rejoice. 482 00:30:34,120 --> 00:30:36,640 I want to tell you that you and I should rejoice in many things. 483 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,720 And here's another category where you can praise God when he 484 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:45,200 says no. And when he, what you feel like 485 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:47,720 is him ignoring your request. This is him actually not 486 00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:50,720 supplying your request. You can rejoice. 487 00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:53,280 I know it doesn't feel good in the moment, but you, you, I'm 488 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:55,760 sure, can look back in your life and think to yourself if you 489 00:30:55,760 --> 00:30:57,440 think carefully. I'm glad God didn't answer that 490 00:30:57,440 --> 00:31:01,080 prayer. I didn't know what I was asking 491 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:06,520 for. And earlier, you heard how you 492 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:09,080 and I must pray according to the will of God if we're to have 493 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,200 confidence performed. But there's another layer to the 494 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:14,480 will of God, not just the revealed will in the Word, but 495 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:16,920 His personalized will for your life. 496 00:31:17,480 --> 00:31:20,520 That also should be taken into consideration when we understand 497 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:22,520 how prayer works. God has His. 498 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:25,520 Objective will, His clear will for all believers. 499 00:31:25,520 --> 00:31:27,760 And he has a tailor made will for you. 500 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:31,120 And that's what we're often concerned by. 501 00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:32,880 Lord, what do you want me to? Where do you want me to go? 502 00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:34,520 Who do you want me to be All these different things. 503 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:39,560 And consider this that you and I, as we ask sometimes don't 504 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:43,400 know what we're asking for. And what you think will glorify 505 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:47,840 God in the season is actually not going to glorify God at that 506 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:48,520 time. It will. 507 00:31:48,520 --> 00:31:51,520 Maybe at another time. What you think will bless you 508 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:53,440 because you see a blessing somebody else? 509 00:31:53,560 --> 00:31:55,640 Oh, surely then it will bring the same kind of joy in my life. 510 00:31:55,640 --> 00:31:59,440 Not necessarily so. The confidence that you and I 511 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:01,560 have in praying according to the will of God is that you're 512 00:32:01,560 --> 00:32:05,440 praying to a God who knows what he has for you, and if it fits 513 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:07,680 that he will grant it and he will honor your faith. 514 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:12,320 And if it does it, then trust that he has your best in mind, 515 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:14,400 best for his glory, best for your good. 516 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:18,720 Ask again. Ask freely, ask confidently, 517 00:32:18,720 --> 00:32:25,200 Don't be limited, don't be shy, but be at rest to know that even 518 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:31,120 sometimes your emotions, your flesh, can create a fog to your 519 00:32:31,120 --> 00:32:33,600 faith. And when you're asking, you 520 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:36,160 think that this is the best option when the fact God knows 521 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:38,920 it's not, you do not know what you're asking. 522 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:41,280 And in the case of the ignorance of the disciples, He explains 523 00:32:41,280 --> 00:32:43,400 their ignorance. He says, are you able to drink 524 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:46,400 the cup that I drink or be baptized with a baptism with 525 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:49,120 which I'm to be baptized? This seems cryptic. 526 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:52,960 This seems ambiguous. It's not because the symbol of a 527 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:56,560 cup is familiar in the Hebrew. Scriptures and In many places 528 00:32:56,560 --> 00:33:00,360 when a cup is defined, especially in relation to God 529 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:05,000 and man, it speaks of God appointing something to someone. 530 00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:09,800 And the substance of that cup can be joy and it can be 531 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:12,320 provision and it can be prosperity, right? 532 00:33:12,520 --> 00:33:15,360 So we think of that famous Psalm and Psalm 23 verse five. 533 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:22,440 My cup overflows, but in most cases the symbol and the idiom 534 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:27,000 of a cup is actually a reference to the judgment of God and the 535 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:30,000 wrath of God. You see that in Isaiah 51, verse 536 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:35,040 17, the cup of His wrath you read even in the psalms of the 537 00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:40,360 wicked, drinking from the cup of His anger or His judgment, we 538 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,040 remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who in that garden 539 00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,680 interceding and praying, asking the Father if it was possible 540 00:33:46,680 --> 00:33:49,520 for this cup to be passed from Him. 541 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:52,600 Not my will, but your will be done. 542 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,680 So this symbol of a cup, when Jesus says here you don't know 543 00:33:56,680 --> 00:33:58,720 what you're asking, are you able to drink the cup that I drink? 544 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:03,360 This is a cup of suffering. This is a cup that is poured out 545 00:34:03,360 --> 00:34:07,760 by God's righteous indignation in the case of Christ. 546 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:11,480 But the theme is suffering, and that's only double down here, 547 00:34:11,480 --> 00:34:15,360 and it's solidified by this next metaphor or this picture. 548 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:18,920 Or be baptized with a baptism with which I'm baptized. 549 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:23,840 Again, we have this Christian narrow application of the word 550 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:27,120 baptism, but in the original it's a very simple term. 551 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:29,000 It's a broad term. It simply means immersion. 552 00:34:30,880 --> 00:34:33,880 And some believe that even the word baptism as a translation 553 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:35,639 does a disservice to how we view baptism. 554 00:34:35,639 --> 00:34:39,880 It speaks of being submerged in something that clarifies a lot, 555 00:34:39,880 --> 00:34:41,159 doesn't it? I know that sounds 556 00:34:41,159 --> 00:34:46,960 controversial. Submerged, submerged and even in 557 00:34:46,960 --> 00:34:51,960 the Hebrew scriptures you see this picture in the theme of 558 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:57,360 suffering, of being overcome or submerged in waters. 559 00:34:57,880 --> 00:35:03,360 Elifast tells his friend Job in Job 2211 that the flood of 560 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,440 waters are over you and describing his plight. 561 00:35:07,720 --> 00:35:09,600 So what's Jesus collectively saying here? 562 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:12,520 He's saying, are you willing to suffer? 563 00:35:13,280 --> 00:35:17,520 You want exaltation, and in the economy of God, the pathway to 564 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:22,360 exaltation is suffering. You want to be promoted in the 565 00:35:22,360 --> 00:35:24,760 next life. And in great part, the degree of 566 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:28,320 your exaltation is determined by what you're willing to endure 567 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:29,160 here on. Earth. 568 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:34,320 And Jesus looks at these men and he says, I'm about to drink and 569 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:38,360 be immersed in suffering, internal internal suffering, 570 00:35:38,720 --> 00:35:42,480 external suffering before I know my exaltation. 571 00:35:43,960 --> 00:35:46,040 Are you willing to take the similar path to your promotion 572 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:52,240 that you so badly want? Look what they said in verse 39. 573 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:58,320 We are able. Do you really know what you're 574 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:03,560 asking for, you disciples? We are able, and Jesus took him 575 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,200 at their word. We are able. 576 00:36:07,640 --> 00:36:10,640 You're going to drink and you will be baptized with this 577 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:15,880 baptism. The first martyr who was an 578 00:36:15,880 --> 00:36:19,840 apostle was James, Acts chapter 12, verse two, who was the last 579 00:36:19,840 --> 00:36:23,640 martyr among the apostles? His brother John, who suffered 580 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:26,320 lifelong persecution and was eventually abandoned on the 581 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:29,760 island called Patmos. According to Revelation chapter 582 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:32,120 one, verse 9, the first martyr among the apostles was James. 583 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:34,680 The last one was John. He took them at their word. 584 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:36,520 You want to drink it? Drink. 585 00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:38,880 You want to be baptized? Here's your baptism. 586 00:36:44,030 --> 00:36:47,640 Now we come to the ruling. We looked at the request, we 587 00:36:47,640 --> 00:36:50,640 looked at the rebuke, and then verse 39 and 40 we look at the 588 00:36:50,640 --> 00:36:52,600 ruling and they said them we are able. 589 00:36:52,600 --> 00:36:55,120 And Jesus said to them the cup that I drink, you will drink, 590 00:36:55,120 --> 00:36:59,360 and in verse 40 says, But to sit on my right hand or at my left 591 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:03,880 is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been 592 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:07,880 prepared. So Jesus prophesied their 593 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:11,200 destinies on earth. And then he explains that the 594 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:16,960 exact at the same time outcome of the reward is not readily 595 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:22,320 available and knowable. Yes, you will suffer, but to 596 00:37:22,320 --> 00:37:25,800 give you what you're asking is not for me to grant. 597 00:37:25,800 --> 00:37:27,440 It's been prepared by the Father. 598 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:31,400 According to Matthew, it's already been determined by his 599 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:38,000 foreknowledge and. So in my role here within the 600 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:40,160 Godhead, that's not my responsibility. 601 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:41,640 That doesn't make him any less God. 602 00:37:44,560 --> 00:37:46,800 And I believe even in this, where we see Jesus clearly 603 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:51,920 define their destiny on earth, and it reminds them and explains 604 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:55,200 to them that what's to come is not to be known at this point. 605 00:37:55,920 --> 00:37:57,600 You see a valuable lesson, right? 606 00:37:57,680 --> 00:38:00,080 You're still going to suffer even though you don't know the 607 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:02,480 reward that's going to be provided for your suffering. 608 00:38:03,560 --> 00:38:06,040 And that tells me something about what Christ expects of us 609 00:38:06,040 --> 00:38:08,800 and what Christ is worthy of. Christ is worthy of your 610 00:38:08,800 --> 00:38:12,920 sacrifice, and even if that sacrifice demands suffering, 611 00:38:13,920 --> 00:38:16,120 he's worthy of it whether you know the reward for it or not, 612 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:24,800 because he's the reward. He's the goal, not positions and 613 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:28,840 not authority and not jewels and not treasures. 614 00:38:30,200 --> 00:38:32,840 Again, we read about these crowns. 615 00:38:32,840 --> 00:38:34,920 There are five different crowns that are mentioned in the New 616 00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:38,840 Testament, and I only see one purpose for crowns in the New 617 00:38:38,840 --> 00:38:40,560 Testament. It's found in Revelation where 618 00:38:40,640 --> 00:38:43,240 those crowns were cast at the feet of the Lamb. 619 00:38:45,280 --> 00:38:47,440 So if I'm going to work for a crown, it's so that I can bring 620 00:38:47,440 --> 00:38:49,280 something of worth to the feet of Christ. 621 00:38:49,760 --> 00:38:51,960 As one preacher said, I don't want to bring Jesus a paper 622 00:38:51,960 --> 00:38:57,760 mache crown, but who's the reward here? 623 00:38:58,360 --> 00:39:01,760 I can't determine whether or not you're going to be able to sit 624 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,160 in those two seats, but you're going to suffer. 625 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:11,040 And James and John should have smiled anyway, because Christ is 626 00:39:11,040 --> 00:39:15,560 the object of our goal. I will suffer come what may, 627 00:39:15,680 --> 00:39:19,160 because I'm doing it for him. I'm doing it for the smile of my 628 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:23,920 master. So the ruling has been set. 629 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:27,320 But now we come to the reminder, and the reason why I named that 630 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:29,240 heading the reminders. Because we've seen these truths 631 00:39:29,240 --> 00:39:32,440 before. Look at verse 41. 632 00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:35,480 And when the 10 heard it, they began to be indignant at James 633 00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:37,120 and John. They weren't offended because of 634 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:39,360 their sinfulness. They were offended because they 635 00:39:39,360 --> 00:39:43,200 got a head start. James and John asked Jesus for 636 00:39:43,200 --> 00:39:45,720 those privileged places and here are the 10 who hear about and 637 00:39:45,720 --> 00:39:50,760 they go they beat us to it. This isn't a righteous thing in 638 00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:52,800 nation. This is this is just as carnal 639 00:39:52,800 --> 00:39:58,080 as the two other ones. Pride does not bring unity. 640 00:39:58,080 --> 00:40:01,800 It it always brings a vision and all you need is one person 641 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:05,200 puffed up with unrepented, unrestrained self promotion. 642 00:40:05,200 --> 00:40:07,800 And it can bring ruin even to apostles. 643 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:13,000 And when the 10 heard it, they began to be a dignant at James 644 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:15,920 and John. Now look at this verse 42. 645 00:40:15,920 --> 00:40:20,160 And Jesus called them to him. Oh, isn't that a beautiful 646 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:22,480 picture? I can't even read past that 647 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:25,720 Jesus. So here's this teacher. 648 00:40:26,880 --> 00:40:31,160 Wise, all knowing, Pure in love, perfect in power. 649 00:40:31,160 --> 00:40:33,640 And he's seeing James and John here, and they're doing their 650 00:40:33,640 --> 00:40:35,240 thing. And then he looks over to the 651 00:40:35,240 --> 00:40:37,760 tent and they hear about it. And now he can sense something 652 00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:40,760 is brewing. And Jesus says, OK, time out, 653 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:45,000 whistle. Come, come, let me reel you in 654 00:40:45,000 --> 00:40:46,800 here. You know what I see from that? 655 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:51,720 Jesus is the peacemaker. Only Jesus can heal pride. 656 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:56,400 Only Jesus can take what is prone to division and mend it 657 00:40:56,400 --> 00:40:58,960 together and keep it. He is the bond of love that 658 00:40:58,960 --> 00:41:03,720 unites our hearts. So if you want peace in your 659 00:41:03,720 --> 00:41:06,200 church, if you want peace in your marriage, if you want peace 660 00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:10,440 in your friendships, let Christ rule in that place. 661 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:15,640 Let Christ reign in that place. You know, in our desire to see 662 00:41:15,640 --> 00:41:19,600 more members here at NBC. And we're so blessed by all the 663 00:41:19,600 --> 00:41:21,760 members and the future members we praise God for. 664 00:41:21,760 --> 00:41:24,920 But we'll make the membership here joyful experiences. 665 00:41:24,920 --> 00:41:28,120 Every person has Christ ruling on the throne of their hearts. 666 00:41:29,160 --> 00:41:31,880 That's how we will avoid potential disaster in our midst. 667 00:41:32,320 --> 00:41:34,720 That's true for your spouse. That's true for your future 668 00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:37,400 spouse. Here's Christ, who is able to 669 00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:42,000 bring in these men who are at odds with one another. 670 00:41:44,080 --> 00:41:47,680 And he says, you know that those who are considered rulers of the 671 00:41:47,680 --> 00:41:51,760 Gentiles lorded over them, and they're great ones. 672 00:41:51,760 --> 00:41:55,160 Exercise authority over them. Pause. 673 00:41:56,520 --> 00:42:00,160 You know, he's reminding them, you know, what it's like to be 674 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:03,200 ruled over others. I mean, they were under Roman 675 00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:08,680 oppression, you know? And then he distinguishes this 676 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:13,120 kind of understanding of greatness and leadership, and he 677 00:42:13,120 --> 00:42:16,080 says, this is of the world. The way you're thinking is 678 00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:19,920 worldly. You know that rulers of 679 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:24,000 Gentiles, they Lord over them. They, they proclaim their 680 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:26,240 greatness by how many people serve them and are under him. 681 00:42:27,160 --> 00:42:28,480 And here's what we take from this. 682 00:42:28,720 --> 00:42:31,880 Even people who follow Christ, if you're not careful, pay 683 00:42:31,880 --> 00:42:34,200 attention to this. If you're not young people, hey, 684 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:37,680 check this out. You can be taking your cues from 685 00:42:37,680 --> 00:42:43,760 the world. You can be developing an 686 00:42:43,760 --> 00:42:47,320 understanding of what success and identity and purpose looks 687 00:42:47,320 --> 00:42:51,200 like from the unbelieving. That's what these disciples are 688 00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:53,880 doing. They have translated what 689 00:42:53,880 --> 00:42:56,720 success looks like among the Gentiles, and they have brought 690 00:42:56,720 --> 00:42:59,120 it into success in the Kingdom of God and Jesus. 691 00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:03,360 That's not of my Kingdom. Notice what he says in verse 43. 692 00:43:03,560 --> 00:43:05,960 But it shall not be so among you. 693 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:09,280 You're different. My Kingdom operates differently. 694 00:43:10,960 --> 00:43:13,960 This attitude and this under that's not of my Kingdom. 695 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:15,800 And so you and I have to be on guard. 696 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:20,400 As one preacher said it this way, you and I do not naturally 697 00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:26,240 drift into holiness. Leave yourself be and don't 698 00:43:26,240 --> 00:43:29,880 exercise these principles and these spiritual disciplines. 699 00:43:30,040 --> 00:43:33,000 You're not going to naturally drift into godliness. 700 00:43:33,000 --> 00:43:34,640 You drift the opposite direction. 701 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:40,680 And Christ comes with His word, his piercing word, And he says, 702 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:45,040 that's not a view, that's not what it should be like for you. 703 00:43:45,600 --> 00:43:48,520 And he says in the next part, But whoever would be great among 704 00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:52,520 you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you 705 00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:54,080 must be slave. Of all. 706 00:43:54,080 --> 00:43:56,320 Have we not seen this before? We have seen this before. 707 00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:59,960 Mark nine. We read this in the previous 708 00:43:59,960 --> 00:44:01,400 chapter. We studied about greatness in 709 00:44:01,400 --> 00:44:02,800 the Kingdom of God. And here we are again. 710 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:05,200 The Holy Spirit found it necessary to record this 711 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:09,000 conversation and place it in the very next chapter, after we had 712 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:10,880 a whole Sunday dedicated to it. Why? 713 00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:13,880 Because we forget. That's why. 714 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:18,560 A lot of us suffer from spiritual amnesia. 715 00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:20,520 We forget. We need to be reminded. 716 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:24,880 It needs to be compacted again, over and over, before it begins 717 00:44:24,880 --> 00:44:29,640 to materialize in real life. And Jesus had no problem 718 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:32,000 teaching the same thing again, he says. 719 00:44:32,000 --> 00:44:35,360 If you want to be great, you have to be a servant. 720 00:44:35,440 --> 00:44:37,240 If you want to be greatest, be a slave. 721 00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:41,520 A servant is one thing. To be a slave means that you're 722 00:44:41,520 --> 00:44:45,360 owned. You're owned by somebody else. 723 00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:51,280 You want to be the greatest? Consider everybody more 724 00:44:51,280 --> 00:44:57,760 significant than yourself. Consider everybody as those who 725 00:44:57,760 --> 00:45:00,720 are over you. Oh, this is real, is it not? 726 00:45:02,680 --> 00:45:05,720 Must be slave of all. And he doesn't just teach it now 727 00:45:05,720 --> 00:45:08,720 he shows by way of example 4 verse 45. 728 00:45:09,040 --> 00:45:14,400 For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and 729 00:45:14,400 --> 00:45:16,720 to give his life as a ransom for many. 730 00:45:17,840 --> 00:45:21,080 I'm not just telling you to do this, I'm showing you how to do 731 00:45:21,080 --> 00:45:24,200 it. That's a true teacher. 732 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:31,160 Side note, excellent verse to use against the enemies of the 733 00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:35,080 gospel who try to claim that Jesus never taught that his 734 00:45:35,080 --> 00:45:37,360 mission on earth was to die for the sins of man. 735 00:45:38,440 --> 00:45:41,080 There's some people out there who say that this is Paul's idea 736 00:45:41,440 --> 00:45:44,120 and our Christian theology comes from the Apostle Paul and not 737 00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:46,720 from Christ. Well, here's one verse among 738 00:45:46,720 --> 00:45:48,960 many that shows that Jesus did believe that when he came on the 739 00:45:48,960 --> 00:45:51,720 earth is that he would come as a substitute for the sins of man. 740 00:45:53,400 --> 00:45:55,760 But that's not the primary purpose for his statement. 741 00:45:55,760 --> 00:46:01,640 Here I show you I've exemplified I'm ready to show the greatest 742 00:46:01,640 --> 00:46:05,760 act of servanthood as I'm ready to die and serve. 743 00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:09,760 Yes, my father, but even the world through my blood being 744 00:46:09,760 --> 00:46:13,280 shed. Can I say something? 745 00:46:13,840 --> 00:46:17,040 You and I are closer to being like Jesus when we serve. 746 00:46:18,320 --> 00:46:20,600 When we serve. I hope that's a cry of your 747 00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:23,360 heart. Lord, I want to be like you in 748 00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:25,120 this world. That's a wonderful cry. 749 00:46:25,120 --> 00:46:29,960 That's a Holy Spirit cry. But you know how it's realized? 750 00:46:29,960 --> 00:46:31,920 You know how you inch yourself closer to that? 751 00:46:32,240 --> 00:46:34,280 It's not by holding a microphone and preaching. 752 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:37,080 It's not by having a grand ministry where people are 753 00:46:37,440 --> 00:46:39,360 listening and hearing and contributing. 754 00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:43,960 Jesus, Jesus qualifies it. Serve others. 755 00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:49,440 Put their needs above yours and not just when the opportunity 756 00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:52,800 arise. Intentionally serve others, not 757 00:46:52,800 --> 00:46:56,640 when your course or force. No, be eager to serve others. 758 00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:01,680 That's where greatness is known in my Kingdom and we run in the 759 00:47:01,680 --> 00:47:07,320 opposite direction of the way of the King and the law of his 760 00:47:07,320 --> 00:47:10,840 Kingdom. When we are captivated and we 761 00:47:10,840 --> 00:47:17,560 justify self promotion and self exaltation, that's not Christ. 762 00:47:20,600 --> 00:47:26,160 And so the request is clear. It was off and that's why I 763 00:47:26,160 --> 00:47:30,520 deserved loving rebuke. Jesus gave a ruling, A ruling 764 00:47:30,520 --> 00:47:32,560 for them, but a principle in that ruling for us. 765 00:47:32,560 --> 00:47:35,560 He's worthy to be served regardless of the reward being 766 00:47:35,560 --> 00:47:39,600 known or not. And the reminder, A reminder for 767 00:47:39,600 --> 00:47:41,520 these 12 and a reminder for you and I. 768 00:47:42,160 --> 00:47:45,200 If we want to be closest to Jesus, and being like Jesus, we 769 00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:48,240 will follow in the steps of servanthood, looking at others 770 00:47:48,240 --> 00:47:51,440 and saying constantly, How can I serve them? 771 00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:57,480 How can I serve them? What a way to end this time 772 00:47:57,480 --> 00:47:59,880 before we break bread. Verse 45. 773 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:03,480 For even the Son of man came not to be served, but the servant to 774 00:48:03,480 --> 00:48:05,320 give his life as a ransom for many. 775 00:48:05,920 --> 00:48:14,640 I want to read to you Psalm 49 verse 7 as we close the psalmist 776 00:48:14,640 --> 00:48:20,400 says in Psalm 49 verse seven, truly no man can ransom another 777 00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:24,040 or gift to God the price of his life. 778 00:48:24,600 --> 00:48:28,640 For the ransom of their life is costly and can never suffice 779 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:32,480 that he should live on forever and never see the pit. 780 00:48:33,120 --> 00:48:36,720 Here is the Psalmist describing the weakness of wealth. 781 00:48:38,120 --> 00:48:40,440 As much as it can get you in this life, it can never. 782 00:48:40,440 --> 00:48:42,880 No matter how great the price is, no matter the mountains of 783 00:48:42,880 --> 00:48:47,400 gold that you possess, it can never purchase everlasting life. 784 00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:52,160 And this language of ransom is so clear, Jesus utilizes it 785 00:48:52,320 --> 00:48:55,160 concerning himself. And he says I've come that I 786 00:48:55,160 --> 00:48:59,080 might be a ransom for many. Well, hold on. 787 00:48:59,080 --> 00:49:02,040 We learn here that. No man can ransom another Yes, 788 00:49:02,040 --> 00:49:05,200 but we're talking about the God man, and he's not. 789 00:49:05,200 --> 00:49:08,440 Coming with silver or gold, as Peter says, but with the 790 00:49:08,440 --> 00:49:13,160 preciousness of his own blood, Only the blood of Jesus Christ 791 00:49:13,160 --> 00:49:17,640 can ransom the soul of another. And you and I today are about to 792 00:49:17,640 --> 00:49:21,160 be reminded that we've been ransomed by the blood of Jesus 793 00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:23,880 Christ. That was the sole thing that 794 00:49:23,880 --> 00:49:28,200 would satisfy the justice and the demand of God, and the price 795 00:49:28,200 --> 00:49:30,880 has been paid. But my question to you today is, 796 00:49:31,160 --> 00:49:33,640 has it been applied to your account? 797 00:49:35,880 --> 00:49:40,280 Are you still in debt? The only way that your debt of 798 00:49:40,280 --> 00:49:44,000 sin can be taken care of? The only transaction that is 799 00:49:44,000 --> 00:49:48,000 possible and satisfactory is if it has been signed with the 800 00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:51,600 blood of the Lamb of God and if you've accepted it freely to 801 00:49:51,600 --> 00:49:55,320 say, there is no other payment I can make, There is no other 802 00:49:55,320 --> 00:49:57,240 payment somebody else can make for me. 803 00:49:57,440 --> 00:50:01,080 The only way I have a guarantee into the presence of God is 804 00:50:01,080 --> 00:50:03,080 through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. 805 00:50:04,600 --> 00:50:07,800 So if you have not made that decision to make Jesus Christ as 806 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:13,040 Lord, you know you're a Sinner. The world knows that we have a 807 00:50:13,040 --> 00:50:17,200 sin problem where they're all confused and bumping heads as 808 00:50:17,200 --> 00:50:20,680 how do we solve it? And here's how we solve it. 809 00:50:21,160 --> 00:50:25,320 The Savior Jesus Christ of Nazareth has declared that in 810 00:50:25,320 --> 00:50:28,680 His name and no other name under having given among men by which 811 00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:31,200 we must be saved. Are you saved? 812 00:50:33,160 --> 00:50:34,440 I'm a good boy. Good boy. 813 00:50:34,440 --> 00:50:37,920 Ain't going to cut it. I pay my taxes. 814 00:50:38,040 --> 00:50:40,480 Wonderful. I didn't commit murder. 815 00:50:40,800 --> 00:50:42,280 Have you hated your brother in your heart? 816 00:50:42,800 --> 00:50:45,160 According to this Kingdom, that's murder. 817 00:50:46,680 --> 00:50:48,000 Well, I've been faithful to my wife. 818 00:50:48,040 --> 00:50:51,000 Have you ever even thought for a moment of another woman who's 819 00:50:51,000 --> 00:50:54,280 not your wife? You're an adulteress. 820 00:50:54,840 --> 00:50:58,440 You're an adulterer. There is no way to escape 821 00:50:58,440 --> 00:51:00,760 concerning the standard of holiness. 822 00:51:01,080 --> 00:51:04,560 Every single one of us have fallen short of the glory of 823 00:51:04,560 --> 00:51:06,720 God. Think with me now of a chasm. 824 00:51:07,120 --> 00:51:09,720 Here's this chasm, Here's you and I with the rest of the 825 00:51:09,720 --> 00:51:12,680 world, and here's God's holiness and His presence, and here's 826 00:51:12,680 --> 00:51:15,800 this big gap in between, and here's how we justify our 827 00:51:15,800 --> 00:51:17,840 holiness. Here's one person who runs, and 828 00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:21,800 he makes a leap, and he comes very close to the edge of God's 829 00:51:22,000 --> 00:51:24,000 presence. And then you have others here 830 00:51:24,000 --> 00:51:26,480 who fall in the midway point or fall right away. 831 00:51:27,320 --> 00:51:31,240 No matter where you are on the spectrum of your morality, the 832 00:51:31,240 --> 00:51:35,680 Bible declares we have all fallen short of the glory of 833 00:51:35,680 --> 00:51:41,680 God. So don't compare yourself to the 834 00:51:41,680 --> 00:51:44,760 next person, because as close as you think you are to your 835 00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:47,040 neighbor in comparison to your neighbor, to your wife, or to 836 00:51:47,040 --> 00:51:49,720 your children or to your boss, we all fall. 837 00:51:50,920 --> 00:51:56,040 And Christ comes and he builds a bridge through the cross, where 838 00:51:56,040 --> 00:51:59,440 if you realize that you, with your silly little moral legs, 839 00:51:59,440 --> 00:52:02,800 can't plunge yourself further enough to reach him and to 840 00:52:02,800 --> 00:52:05,480 simply take the path that he's called you to take in Christ, 841 00:52:05,680 --> 00:52:09,240 that's how you're saved. That's how you know forgiveness 842 00:52:09,240 --> 00:52:14,600 of sin. And so if you're not a believer 843 00:52:14,600 --> 00:52:17,720 in this place, I encourage you from the bottom of my heart. 844 00:52:17,720 --> 00:52:20,200 This is not reserved for you. This is reserved for those who 845 00:52:20,200 --> 00:52:23,920 have walked on that path and have crossed the way of 846 00:52:23,920 --> 00:52:27,840 justification by faith. And so we ask that you just 847 00:52:27,840 --> 00:52:30,440 observe You're free to remain. Please don't take this the wrong 848 00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:33,240 way, but this is something that Christ instituted for His 849 00:52:33,240 --> 00:52:34,920 church. Those who have been purchased by 850 00:52:34,920 --> 00:52:38,240 His blood, believer in this place, rejoice. 851 00:52:38,240 --> 00:52:40,880 And knowing that your performance is not what gets you 852 00:52:40,880 --> 00:52:43,160 God's favor. It's what the Son of God has 853 00:52:43,160 --> 00:52:45,280 done. And as we come here, we remember 854 00:52:45,280 --> 00:52:47,960 His body and His blood. He is the ransom. 855 00:52:47,960 --> 00:52:58,160 You are forgiven forever, You know recently. 856 00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:00,000 Can I just be transparent? I don't know if this will 857 00:53:00,000 --> 00:53:04,360 encourage you, Encourages me more and more. 858 00:53:04,360 --> 00:53:06,240 I get excited about the Lord's table. 859 00:53:07,840 --> 00:53:11,000 I found myself excited about the first Sunday of this month 860 00:53:12,080 --> 00:53:16,360 because I just want to come and rehearse his forgiveness again. 861 00:53:16,360 --> 00:53:17,640 I need it. You need it. 862 00:53:18,240 --> 00:53:20,520 I'm forgiven. I'm forgiven. 863 00:53:20,520 --> 00:53:22,080 I'm saved. I'm redeemed. 864 00:53:22,080 --> 00:53:24,800 It's done. I've been perfected for all 865 00:53:24,800 --> 00:53:26,480 time, though I am still being sanctified. 866 00:53:26,480 --> 00:53:29,600 Hebrews 1014. And so we're going to sing a 867 00:53:29,600 --> 00:53:31,560 song in a moment. If the praise team can come at 868 00:53:31,560 --> 00:53:35,440 this time, we're going to sing a song as they did sang a hymn at 869 00:53:35,440 --> 00:53:39,760 the Last Supper before the betrayal of the Son of God. 870 00:53:40,120 --> 00:53:43,760 And then we will partake after Pastor Benna shares a few words. 871 00:53:44,920 --> 00:53:48,200 But as they Let me pray and then you guys can come. 872 00:53:49,400 --> 00:53:50,920 Lord, we do thank you for this word. 873 00:53:52,200 --> 00:53:54,840 A reminder, yes, but a reminder that we always need. 874 00:53:56,520 --> 00:54:00,040 You were the perfect servant, and you've reminded us again 875 00:54:00,040 --> 00:54:01,680 what greatness looks like in your eyes. 876 00:54:01,680 --> 00:54:04,760 We want to be great before the Lord or forgive us of our 877 00:54:04,760 --> 00:54:06,640 ambition. And our motives was to be great 878 00:54:06,640 --> 00:54:09,480 before our elders, to be great before Christians, to be great 879 00:54:09,480 --> 00:54:12,320 on the charts for Christian radio, whatever it may be. 880 00:54:12,320 --> 00:54:17,360 Lord, we ask that you would cleanse us from all false 881 00:54:17,440 --> 00:54:20,920 ambition and bring us to the simplicity of our devotion to 882 00:54:20,920 --> 00:54:25,040 you to be great before Christ and now Lord. 883 00:54:25,040 --> 00:54:27,320 We put that aside, and we remember that we've been saved 884 00:54:27,320 --> 00:54:30,200 by Your blood. As we sing these truths, may we 885 00:54:30,200 --> 00:54:34,520 remember in a holy way of who we were and how you've redeemed us. 886 00:54:34,600 --> 00:54:38,560 Who we could have. Been If you didn't redeem us so 887 00:54:38,560 --> 00:54:42,480 that we can offer you the proper due for your great sacrifice in 888 00:54:42,480 --> 00:54:43,920 Jesus name. Amen. 889 00:54:44,480 --> 00:54:47,440 Praise theme please. You can stand with us, please. 890 00:54:47,440 --> 00:54:50,480 As we worship the Lord. I'll just meditate on His love, 891 00:54:50,800 --> 00:54:54,240 meditate on His sacrifice, and we will eat together soon.