Services | How to Be First

Bulletin

Hymn # 254 “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”

SCRIPTURE READING – Deuteronomy 33:26 & 27
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate

Praise and Worship
“Endless Light”
“Resurrection Power"
“Egypt”

Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“How to Be First”

PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection

“At the Cross”

Sermon Notes
Mark 9:30 – 32 Jesus goes to Galilee and continues to teach disciples about His death and resurrection, but they don’t understand
Mark 9:33 & 34 Jesus asks what the disciples are discussing, but they remain silent. But Jesus knows what they are discussing by His next teaching
Mark 9:35 - 37 To be first you must be last and a servant of all. Receiving an insignificant person is receiving Jesus
Mark 9:38 – 42 John said that they tried to stop a person not with them from casting out a demon. Jesus replies of you are not against Him you are for Him
Mark 9:43 – 49 The priority of the Kingdom of God over all else
Mark 9:50 Be who you are suppose to be in Christ and be at peace with each other

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Scritpures

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Transcript of Service

Few people do what's necessary to be a winner consistently, and a very, very small percentage of people do what is necessary to be great at their sport or their professional whatever it may be. When it comes to spiritual matters, almost no one thinks about greatness. Jesus's original disciples were concerned about their greatness and wanted to be first. Rather than rebuking them, Jesus taught them how to be, if you will, the greatest of all time. See what Jesus taught, how to be a great disciple. So says. From there he went out and began to go through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know about it. Jesus is trying to teach his disciples, and the more people know about it, the more the crowds come and the more they demand his time.

So he's probably avoiding large towns and whatever. You're just going through to teach. For he was teaching his disciples and telling them the son of man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he has been killed, he will rise three days later. Now this is not the first time that he has taught his disciples that, but they seem to have difficulty understanding it. So he keeps repeating it so that they might know what's going to happen, what will happen, and that what will happen later so that he'll be delivered. He'll be killed, but he'll rise again. Umm. But unfortunately the disciples do this, but they did not understand this statement and they were afraid to ask him. So again, instead of asking Jesus why he's making this statement, they're afraid to do so. That's something that we can learn as well. A lot of times. We have been taught certain things from pastors or Bible teachers or something about what the scriptures say, and because we respect them and think that they have more Bible knowledge than us, that we accept their teaching. When what we should be doing is taking a look at the scriptures and say, do the scriptures say what I've been taught or am I reading the Scriptures based on what I've been taught and now interpreting that?

And so I'm sure what happened is the disciples have been taught that the Messiah would never die. Jesus is teaching something contrary to that and they don't understand it. So rather than trying to understand what Jesus is teaching, they're going to continue to accept what? They've been taught. And just not understand. So what they should be doing is asking the teacher what he means rather than. Going in confusion. And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house, he began to question them. What were you discussing on the way? Now we're going to know that Jesus does exactly what they were discussing, because he's going to teach based on what they were discussing. And so Jesus knows that they've been talking about things. Unfortunately, they're not talking about what they need to be talking about. They're talking about something else. But they kept silent on the way they had discussed with one another. Which of them was the greatest. Now this is not the first time. Well, this is not the last. It seems that every time Jesus talks about his death, burial and resurrection, they followed up with who's going to be the greatest. Rather than discussing what does Jesus mean by this, they're talking. They're continuing to think that things are going to go the way they think they ought to go. And who's. Going to be on the right hand and the. Left hand of. Of Jesus, when he rules and there and who's who's going to have authority and who's going to have minimal authority.

And so they're discussing these things amongst themselves. And I'm sure it had to do more, including with the fact that Peter, James and John had gone up. To the mountain and saw Jesus transfigured. If if they did what Jesus told them, that they didn't say anything, but I'm sure they thought, well, we're special, so we're better than everybody else, and so we'll have greater.
Uh. And.
Authority. And so they're they're looking at who's going to be the greatest. And sitting down, he called the 12 and sent it in. If anyone wants to be first. He shall be last of all, and the servant of all. Now, once you've first noticed that Jesus doesn't. Rebuke them for discussing who's going to be the greatest. That's probably what I would I'd have probably said. Wait a minute guys. I've been talking about my death, burial, resurrection, and you're arguing about who's going to be foremost in the Kingdom. Maybe you ought to be discussing what's going to happen to your rabbi, to your Messiah, to the son of God, to the son of man. But he doesn't rebuke them. Because perhaps. It's an appropriate goal to want to be the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. When it comes to secular life. Almost everybody wants to be a winner. But not many people do what it takes. To win consistently. It takes effort, it takes training, it takes discipline.

You might have to eat different things. You might have to sleep differently. You might have to train and and do these things in order to win consistently. And even those who are in professional sports, we think, OK, well, they have this great capacity to be competitive. But even a small number of them. Do what it takes to be what we call a goat the greatest of all time. And so you can know in whichever sport who you would count as the greatest of all time, and people will discuss these people even if they never saw them play like basketball or football. They would say these people are have set themselves above everybody else and they are the greatest of all time. Paul talks about in Corinthians that when people run in races and do whatever they do so in order to achieve a Garland leaf, a little crown that is made of. Twigs and leaves, which will. Passed away because they're not meant to be eternal. And even if you win a Super Bowl trophy, it's a trophy. Nobody in the team gets to. Take it home. It's it's, it's there and it's again. And if I were to ask you who won the 4th Super Bowl, both of you would know. I know because my team won it so. But. But, you know, if I ask them who won the. 32nd 1. Even when people win and achieve greatness, we don't think about it. But we almost never hear anybody. Say. I want to be the goat. Of a disciple. I want to be the greatest of all time. As a disciple and I want you to notice that Jesus didn't. Rebuke them. Paul tells us that again in Corinthians. If you're going to run the race, run it to win. But we. Disciples tend to be content just simply being on the team. We don't care if we sit on the bench. I'm just on the team. As opposed to. Saying I want to not only be in the game. I want to be so impactful that they say we couldn't have won without you. Now that's but that type of attitude that I want to serve the Lord in such a way that people say. Talk about our disciple. That person is. But we don't. We have this humility, but somewhat I think it's not so much humility, but we don't want to do the effort. Just like when we say that we want to win, we don't do the things that are necessary to win.

We just do what is comfortable. And to be a disciple of Christ is not comfortable, and to be the greatest of all time will take. And so Jesus says he's going to. He told us. How is it that you're going to be the greatest of all time? Now the awesome thing is. If I decided today I wanted to be on the. I'm not going to make it. My time Father time has caught up to me and beat me real bad. But to be the greatest of all time as a disciple. Is never too late. I can decide right now and you can decide right now that I have decided not only to follow Jesus. But to be an awesome. Disciple. And so, Jesus says, if you want to be first. This is how you do it, so he teaches them how to do it. You shall be last. And of all. You should be the servant of all the way to be first is not to put yourself first, which is really difficult in our culture because everybody seems to be a narcissist. Everybody wants to be about me. And even at his tables here, they're talking Jesus saying I'm going to. Handed over, killed. Buried and rise again. They're talking about their place in the Kingdom as opposed to the team. And so we tend to want to be. It's about us.

Many years ago, my wife was a. President of a PTA for a elementary school and they had this event. And all the parents came and and some of the many of the school board members came and whatever and typical they had, you know, punching cookies and other types of things. And one of the school board members. Complained and said that they should have been first. If they should have been honored. Because they were school board member. And my attitude was you're a civil servant. Not only should you not been first, you probably should have been serving the punch and cookies. But see, everybody wants to be honored and Jesus says. That's not how you become first as a disciple. You serve other people. Jesus is going to show them in a few days. About washing feet.
And.
An act of humility, an act of saying. That you're greater than me. I'm going to serve you. I'm going to defer my. Desires and my preference of being honored, and I'm going to serve you. Jesus did that. Did that make him any less than Messiah? No. Did that make him any more meek or weak? No. But he came not to be served, but to serve if he want to be his disciple, and he want to be the greatest of all time, then you need to act and be like Jesus. Now unfortunately you can do it two ways. If you decide to do it.

You can simply do it. As I say, I'm deferring to you, and woe is me, you know, have pity on me because I'm doing all these things. Or you can say I love him. So I'm going to do it for you. I don't care. What you think of my position? Because I love him. And I want to tell you this. If you do it for that reason, you're more likely to continue doing it. Because if you do it for the other reason, pretty soon you're gonna get tired of no one recognizing how great you are for being the least. Let's really think about.
Winning.
Not just being on the team. And then he does something to prove the point. And taking a child, he set him before them and taking him in his arms, he said to them. Whoever receives one child like this in my name receives me and whoever receives me does not receive. I'm sorry, whoever receives. Me does not receive me, but him who sent me. That Jesus says. What's a child now? We think in our modern day, everybody loves children and it's all, and it's all about the children and whatever. That's not what happened in this age. The fathers could literally kill the children, and it wasn't a crime. They had no rights. The child's job was to make the parents job easier. Notice even in the 10 Commandments that says. Children honor your parents. There's no commandment that says parents. Feel good to your children? Their parents will be because of whatever. But again, he's saying children don't have any rights. I want you to understand that if you receive those who are lonely. And not important.

And in essence, it's the same thing as accepting me. And if you accept them, you're accepting me. If you accept me, you're accepting the father. Maybe. Just maybe. The next visitor who comes to visit us. We treat like. Jesus. Not because they can do anything for us or our church. But because that's what Jesus has called us to do. And expects us to do if we want to be the greatest of all time. As disciples. Disciples being disciples want to change the subject. And so John said to him, teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us. He wasn't a part of us. He wasn't one of the 12 with a special ones. It's kind of like the will, a lot of churches, a lot of denominations. We're the special denomination. Everybody else is not nearly as as significant or important that we see. We try to stop them because they weren't us. But Jesus said do not hinder him, for there is no one who performs the miracle in my name and is able soon afterwards to speak evil of me. You cannot preach Jesus. And perform miracles in his name and then say bad things about Jesus. Because then you are confessing that what you did was hypocrisy. So Jesus says leave him alone. In essence, just as when Elijah complained that he was the only one that didn't bend the knee to bail. God said. I got a whole bunch of people who've never been that you don't know about. And as Jesus saying, the Kingdom of God is growing. And it's growing. Even though you're not. Particularly a part of that growth.

For he, who is not against us, is for us. You see, there's no Switzerland when it comes to faith. You're either a follower of Jesus or you're not. You either believe that Jesus is who said he was, and going to do what he said he's going to do, or you don't. There's no you could be agnostic, but being agnostic means you're not for him. And then he goes on to say this for whoever gives you a cup of water. To drink because of your name as follower of Christ. Truly, I say to you, he will not lose his reward. If someone does something to assist you. Through to and places can be very hot and dry, just like we live in a Mediterranean climate. And sometimes it gets to be quite warm here. So sometimes a cool, refreshing drink is helpful not only to sustain our bodies, but to to give us comfort. Is it if someone gives you just a cup of water? Because you are a follower of Jesus. He will not lose his reward. We Baptists because we believe accurately and truly, so that we are saved by grace and faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God.

We then tend to think that it's OK to sit in the few and do nothing. Jesus teaches us that there are rewards and responsibilities that if we do things in his name, four people in his name, then we will be rewarded. And if you don't do things or you do it because you're a narcissist, then you might lose a reward or not get a reward or suffer some loss. There is accountability in being a disciple doesn't mean you lose your salvation. It simply means you either get rewards or you don't. And so I say even a simple act of doing a gift of water. Will cause God to give you a reward. I keep saying over and over. Like a broken record. We are never content living in a poor middle class or even upper middle class neighborhood. All of us want to have mansions, all of us. Want. To live, you know, either in the mountains or by the sea or whatever, we want to live in the geography that we want, and we want this wonderful, great house. We're not. We're not. When Jesus is building you. A place for you in his house. It's not awesome. We're not satisfied with a tent here. Why would we be satisfied with the tent in heaven? Do such things as acknowledging that he will reward us. But the awesome thing is. Those of you who will ultimately be the goats. Hope things will happen. Number. We received a Crown of life. And he will cast that crown, that reward at the feet of Jesus.

And say. I'm an unprofitable slave. I only did what you told me to do. You see, we don't do these things to hoard these things. But because. Of his love for us. And our love for him. So when we serve others, we serve him because we love him. But then he takes the opposite track. Whoever causes one of these little ones? Who believed to stumble? It would be better for him, with the heavy millstone hung around his neck and had been cast into the sea. There are consequences if you cause believers who are weak in the faith to stumble. We need to be very guarded by what we say and do, especially around. Young believers. Believers who are children. Not just children, chronologically, but but children in the faith. And unfortunately you can be a child in the face and be 93 years old. And you can be adults in faith at about 12:00. Depends on what you've been doing with what he's been given.

Yeah.

So Jesus says it's better to be drowned. And to cause someone to stumble. And then he really gets serious. If your hand causes you to stumble. Cut it off. It is better for you to enter life. Crippled and having your two hands to go into hell. Into the unflinchingly fire. I want you to notice a couple of things #1. Jesus teaches about hell. I know a lot of people want to discount it and whatever. Jesus would have said. If it weren't a real place. Likely parable of hell. But he doesn't, because it's better to be crippled. And the going to hell. And the attitude is. What are you taking seriously? Are you taking seriously? What this life has to offer. Or eternity. Most of us want what's easy now. Jesus says it's better to be crippled in this life. And be in the Kingdom of God. And to be a fine physical specimen. And end up eternity in hell. And then if you notice and I want, there's a little bracket, which means that a lot of the early manuscripts this. Phrases are there now it is another. Gospel writings so. I always want to comment, people say, well, the Bible is old and there's so many and so we don't know. We know even what we don't know. The scriptures are reliable because things like this that tells us there's a lot of early range. Groups that don't. Have this so it could be. There or may not be there. So my advice is we don't get. Are doctrine based on little bracket areas? If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame and having 2 feet be cast into hell.

Again, Jesus is reiterating, so it must be important if your teacher repeats something twice, it's probably on the test. So he's saying you really, really, really need to take into account what you take seriously. You take seriously the Kingdom of God, or you take seriously this life. To take seriously. I'm not of this world. I'm a citizen of heaven or I just want what's good now. Who cares about later? That Jesus again reiterates. Consider your life. What is it that you're doing? And again the same quotes. And then for the third time, so guess what, people.
Yes.
It's on the test. If your eye causes you to stumble, throw it out. It is better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into hell. Again, this is now the third time he's made reference to losing a body part, but better to be in heaven. And it's better be in heaven than to be in hell. So obviously hell must be a real place. And you should avoid it. Well, there's only one way to avoid it. Be a follower of Jesus. And again. Notice now there isn't a bracket. Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched. So it is a real place. Only with real fire. And real worms. The term hell in the scriptures it's called behanna.

And basically it was a picture of the trash heap outside Jerusalem. Where there was a constant fire. And smoke would arise and where you have trash, you will have rodents and worms and all kinds of. Disgusting things. And Jesus says there's the picture and I'm going to give you a. Picture of what Hell's like. It's like being. In the trash heap of Jerusalem. And then he finishes by saying this. For everyone will be salted with fire. Fire is, if you will, a judgment. It's a preservative. It helps you. Get rid of them. So when you refine gold or silver, you put it through the fire, so you get the drops and the impurities so that you might have pure gold and pure silver and Jesus saying. Your faith is more precious than silver or gold, and so therefore sometimes it needs to be. With with the fire so that that unbelief is taken out just as the Father said. Lord, I believe help my unbelief. He's drawing out that unbelief by that. And it follows up with salt is good. And that day, and even today, we used salt for another thing. As a matter of fact, our culture, we use all too much. All the candidates have a bunch of salts in them. They're preservative, we use, we put salts in meats and different things to help preserve them. We also like the taste. It has both benefits. It's a preservative and it makes the. Food taste better. A matter of fact. A lot of the navies and military many decades ago had salted pork and salted fish and salted meat because. It was a preservative and then you would have to have a lot of. Water or drink?

Because salt, we're baking thirsty. Salt is good, but if salt becomes unsalty with what will you make it salty? So if you have salt but it loses one of its. Reasons for being how do you? Make it salty again. Have salt in yourselves. We need to have that preservative and that we should make it so, as the psalmist says, oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. We should have that salt that people say, yeah. I've seen bad believer. Their life is something I want to follow. That life seems to be a favorable one, one that's preserved no matter what the circumstances are. That's preserved. And this makes other people. Better. Then it says. And be at peace. With one another. And we seem to live in a society that everybody wants to be. Finding everybody else. I don't agree politically with you, I don't believe. Talk to me with you. I don't agree with this. I don't like your lifestyle. Everybody wants to find fault with everybody else. Instead of saying. I'm going to be at peace. I may not approve. Of your positions. I'm not going to get all stirred up about it. Will be at peace. With you. That peace is not just a cessation of hostility. It is, if you will. And welcoming of others. Nations are not at peace because they're not at war. They're at peace. When they're walking together with a common purpose and a common objective, we need to be at peace. With each other. As we walk with him. How is it that we're going to be? The greatest of all time. As a disciple. For always. Fighting with one another. Again. So I know that. I'm not Jesus. What I would have heard they're talking about who's the greatest? I just said maybe it's time for me to get 12 other guys. As you. Just don't have a clue. So it's been almost 3 1/2 years. You're not listening to what I'm saying. It's all about you. I'm going to kind of be like God when he talked to Moses on Mount Sinai. I'm going to wipe everybody out and start over. But that's not our Lord. He loved them. And continued to teach them.

Because he understood something. That these men. Will be different. After the resurrection. They will not be the same. Instead of being worried about themselves. They'll be rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. So sometimes. What we need to do in order to understand? In our desire to be. Their disciples. Is love. The greater as false as there's faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love. Jesus showed his love. Not necessarily, but not only by what he taught by what he did consistently throughout his ministry. And now? And so the son of God. The one who is worshipped in heaven. Came to earth. To suffer at the hands of sinful men. To be mocked. To be crucified. To be killed to be buried. And a borrowed brave. Because he knew.

The father sent him to redeem us. And that at the end of three days. He would rise again. And our faith should put that on the front burner, that says. I can risk loving you. Because he loves me eternally. I can. Set aside. My wants and my desires and for you to honor me. Because I want to honor him. And be like him. And as Jesus said.

The slave is not above his master. Why do we think that our lives should be? Different. He offered himself upon a cross. And we had heard earlier that he said we'll pick up our cross and follow him. That's me. Both disciples
And all God's people said.



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