Who Is the Greatest - 14

Christian welcomes Turning Point. We can't division how do you define greatness by award-winning skill as an actor or Jeremiah says Jesus has a very different definition of greatness one sorely needed to share his message is the greatest mystery point of David Jeremiah and this is the weekend edition were studying the book of Mark, and today were in the ninth chapter versus 3037. In our discussion today is is the greatest Jesus had a very different definition of success. He said that being a servant of putting yourself last night. First was the key to becoming great world, but in his everlasting kingdom. We could use a little bit about today don't you know let's find out more about it as we open our Bibles to the ninth chapter of the book of Mormon on the weekend edition I have a story to tell you to talk about the power of service and I thought I would just begin with the story woman her husband to the doctor's office after his checkup.

The doctor said your husband is suffering from a very serious infection. While the husband was hard of hearing and he said what did he say his wife said. He says you're sick and the doctor went on, but there's some hope. And he said ma'am. I just need to help you understand what you can do for your husband.

You need to reduce his stress each morning. Give him a healthy breakfast be pleasant and nice and kind for lunch and dinner make him his favorite meal and don't discuss your problems with them will only make the stress worse. Don't yell at him. Don't argue with them, and most importantly, just cater to your husband's every whim and if you do that your husband for the next six months to a year. If you do that during that period of time. I think your husband has an opportunity for complete recovery and the husband said what did he say and she said he said you're going to die. Some people will do anything to avoid serving as we study the book of Mark, we have learned together that one of the hardest things for any of us to face our shortcomings are flaws in our lives. Maybe it's been a shock to all of us and even to me somewhat study this many times before that the disciples were far from perfect people. Oftentimes, we think, all he's a disciple. He must have it all together and we even think about that today was a disciple, which means he's closer to God. He's got it together discovered with us so far. The disciples don't have it altogether there facing one flaw after another in one place.

It's the lack of prayer. Remember they could cast out a demon and we can figure it out. Jesus said well you can figure it out because this kind of demon only comes out through prayer. They couldn't figure out what to do with their fear and they just seem to be so dull of hearing when it came to the things Jesus was trying to communicate to them and this particular story that is in the progress of his journey to the cross is told not only by Mark, but it's also the book of Matthew and in the book of Luke is Mark tells the story he shows us how Jesus was trying to teach his disciples, and I like to tell the story, sort of in the same vein, in which I see the Lord Jesus walking through this with his men.

Therefore characteristics of this first or some information that there's an interrogation and vendor some instruction in Jesus finishes with an illustration. So with our Bibles open to Mark in the ninth chapter, we begin our reading today at the 30th verse with some information.

The Bible says they departed from there and pass through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know it.

Jesus and his disciples have gone now from the northern part of Israel and the going through Galilee and Jesus is determined that is going to reach his destination, which is Jerusalem and ultimately his destination, which is the cross Bible says that he didn't want anybody to know where he was going and we don't know why he doesn't want anybody to know until we read the next verse, verse 31 says for he taught his disciples and said to them, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men and they will kill him, and after he was killed he will rise. The third day Jesus didn't want to be interrupted in his opportunity to mentor his disciples and tell them what was going to happen in a few days because he is going to the cross. He's going to be buried and resurrected, and the disciples if they don't get this information to be caught off guard. So Jesus didn't want anybody to know what he was going because he want uninterrupted time to teach his disciples not Mark often portrays Jesus as a teacher you see this throughout the entire gospel.

Most often he doesn't tell us what Jesus is teaching in this text he tells us what the subject was of their discussion as they moved along the way. That day Jesus is teaching about his death, burial and resurrection that the subject matter he's trying to explain to his disciples that though they wanted a king with the crown they got. It came with the cross and their king was headed toward the cross and they needed to be prepared for it. This is the second of three times that Jesus actually explains this in the book of Mark, I won't read them, but one is in the 31st verse of Mark eight and in the 33rd verse of Mark 10 Jesus is telling his disciples what is to happen so I run into somebody who talks about the crucifixion, as if Jesus was taken off guard. They got in without his notice and they swiftly moved him to Calvary and killed him without his permission. What a silly thing for anybody to say, especially anybody who purports to have read the Bible because throughout this journey with his disciples the Lord Jesus is gradually unfolding the plan of redemption for them so that they have no reason not to know. They understood Jesus wasn't taken by surprise. Jesus knew that he was born to die. He came not to be ministered on but the minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Now he's coaching his disciples ahead of time so that they will know what to do now.

It's interesting that as he goes along the way and he's teaching them. Obviously, the disciples are also having their own discussion.

They work talking about something that they shouldn't have been talking about and is Jesus is involving himself with them and explaining to them what's going to happen to him. He overhears them having a discussion.

Now let's notice after the information the interrogation Jesus questioning his disciples. Verse 33. The Bible says that when they came to Capernaum and they stopped over there obviously they were going to stop in the house of Peter where they had their headquarters.

Up until this time Jesus brought his disciples into the house and he asked them a question. He says if I would put in language today. He probably said what we guys talking about on the road as we got here. If you get this picture in your mind is this, what happened Jesus is walking along the road and his disciples are walking apart from him, probably in front of him. As Jesus is walking along the road and he's been teaching them about his coming death, burial and resurrection, mostly after that, he notices that the disciples are in a discussion. Literally the word is pretty strong. It means they were arguing with one another and as they walked along the road. Jesus could see them in this intense argument disciples arguing with one another and when they get to Capernaum and they going to Peter's house. Jesus gives them in a circle and he says what were you guys talking about on the road.

I don't think Jesus was in doubt about what they were talking about.

He knew what they were talking about what he was trying to draw them out. He said tell me what you were talking about our notice.

The questioning of Jesus is met by the quietness of the disciples and they kept silent when the answers question four on the road. They had been disputing among themselves who would be the greatest. How embarrassing. Jesus is telling them about his death and their arguing with each other about who gets to be the greatest couple of things are going on here. Obviously they still haven't figured out the difference between a king with the cross and the king of the crown because their greatness was all about. Hopefully serving in the kingdom with the Lord in a place of prominence and somehow Jesus teaching about suffering and death got them into this debate over who was going to be the greatest. In fact I've noticed in the New Testament the quite often. When Jesus talks about his death brought resurrection, the disciples talk about who's going to be the greatest. So Jesus asked them what were you talking about, and obviously they didn't want to answer that question, they would not answer because they were ashamed and should they not have been ashamed for doing that on that particular day in that particular situation.

The Bible says they were arguing about greatness. It wasn't about being great as a disciple. It was about greatness. In essence, is the most important among the disciples I can just hear Peter say all I was standing closest to him when he transfigured on the Mount has to be me. John probably said will you know what he calls me on the disciple Jesus loved, you know that each of them probably have their own argument about who was the greatest, and they were comparing and ranking their accomplishments, their skills and their gifts and they were talking so much about greatness in the kingdom of God as they were just talking about who was the greatest man among just a few chapters we will learn that James and John and their mother have a similar discussion where she wants to promote her boys so that they get a place of prominence in the kingdom. You can read about that in Mark chapter 10 will get to it later and later on just before Jesus went to the cross. The disciples are in the room and their arguing with one another again over who was the greatest in the kingdom and Jesus Christ walked into the room knowing what they had been talking about.

The Bible tells us in John chapter 13 that he took off his outer garment and he donned the clothing of a servant, and he got down on his knees and washed the feet of the disciples will he talks about his death Brown resurrection they talk about who's the greatest they talk about who's the greatest he washes their feet and Jesus is then going to explain to them why what they're talking about is so absurd and off-base from the information we have the interrogation and now the instruction notice verse 35 and Jesus sat down and he called the 12 and he said to them if anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all this is that sound like a disconnect. How do you get to be first by being last. Jesus does not tell his disciples to cease trying to be great. Instead, he redefines the meaning of greatness. He doesn't implore us to stop pursuing greatness. He demands that we pursue a specific form of greatness he is encouraging us to desire to pursue to crave a certain kind of greatness that serves all this is Jesus definition of greatness and of course it's not an isolated thing in the text. I remember the Scripture and being reminded of how many times this principle is recorded in the Bible. It's almost like Jesus wants to make sure we don't forget this. This is not only the key to what it means to follow the Lord.

But as you go to see in a moment maybe one of the missing ingredients is in our culture today so let me just run through the Scriptures quickly. If I were you taking notes just write down the address and you can look them up in filament later, but here's just a sampling of where this is in the Bible.

Matthew 2016 so the last will be first in the first last. Many are called, few are chosen. Matthew 2026 and 27 whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave.

Matthew 2311 but he was greatest among you shall be your servant Mark 1043 and 44 you shall not be so among you but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant and will review desires to be first shall be slave of all. Luke 948 whoever receives this little child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me, for he was least among you all will be great.

Luke 1330 and, indeed, there are last two will be first, and there are first two will be last.

Luke 2226 but not so among you. On the contrary, he was greatest among you, let him be. As the younger, and he who governs as he who serve. That's a sampling. So that's a sampling of the many times when Jesus taught this caller basic principle of the Christian life.

Isn't it interesting we hear almost nothing about it in our culture today. Most people are quite surprised when they hear this, that the principles of leadership for believers is exactly the opposite of that for those who live in the culture.

The basic concept of serving is found over 300 times in the New Testament hundred and 30 times in the Gospels in 170 times in the epistles so the Lord did not save us to be sensations he saved us to be servants and is giving us this principle, so we will know how to function not only in the church, but in our culture so that we can know the joy of Christ likeness. Here's the difference between what Jesus is saying here and where most people are in their understanding of leadership today was to start with the triangle.

If you start out in the business world today, men, women graduate from college.

Maybe grad school degree ready to go. You enter into the company at the lower level. Nobody starts up early start on here and at the lower level of your company are the most people are more people down here in this level than anyplace else. The entry-level if you stay there and you progress in your career.

Little by little, you move out and at every level were you move up there are fewer people. The next level. Fewer people all of a sudden. If you work hard you know the bosses family get to the top you get to the top and all of a sudden you're at the top of the triangle and the people say it's such a good thing to be able to serve under him was an incident in the world today. I serve under in the military I serve under we serve under people. That's the way the world views leadership with the triangle and the one at the top. At the pinnacle looks out at his world and he makes this observation. Look at all the people who are serving me.

Jesus is once all right if you want to live that way, your culture, but that's not my way. Jesus says you have to turn the triangle upside down.

Jesus says he will be the greatest among you, let him be the least that doesn't mean the least indignity the least in popularity, the least inability it means you understand that in the biblical sense of leadership. It's not how many people are serving you. It's how many people you are serving that is servant leadership. That's biblical leadership that Jesus kind of leadership.

Jesus says if you want to be great in the kingdom of God. Don't ask the question how many people are serving me asked the question how many people has Almighty God allowed me to serve and we began to understand the joy of serving as we began to institute this principle in our lives. Greatness is waiting on believers in the form of common and simple tasks. The more common and humble task. The greater the deed.

So Jesus said in Luke 2227 I am among you as one who serves.

No please notice that Jesus is not teaching this principle in classroom is teaching it on the road and where's that road taking him you guys it's taking him to Jerusalem.

It's taking him to the cross, Jesus is walking out the lesson that he's teaching his disciples.

He said I did not come to be ministered to but to minister, and to give my life a ransom for many.

What is he doing is walking toward Jerusalem is walking toward the cross. He saved by his attitude. I'm not going to stay here and be here came with the crown because I understand it before I can be your King with a crown. I have to be your King with the cross and in his servant attitude.

He's giving himself up.

The Bible says he gave himself up for us so that we might be saved. That's what services and Jesus is living it out as he is teaching it to his disciples, how do we serve one another. Jesus says if you want to be great if the learn to serve for greatness in the kingdom is not where you stand on the hierarchy, but it's where you stand and serving other people. Now that's his instruction and finally he gives us an illustration in the illustration is in verse 36 and 37 then Jesus took a little child and he set him in the midst of them, and when he had taken up in his arms, he said to them, whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives, not me, but him who sent me, so we believe that in this situation Jesus was in Peter's house. The probability is Peter Jesus 1.1 of Peter's children. By the way, that's a shock to everybody that Peter was married, but the Bible tells us he was. He wasn't celibate. He was married.

He had some children. I was telling you are so Jesus gets one of Peter's children and brings them into the center of the circle. All the disciples are in the viruses when he got him in the center of the circle.

Jesus picked this child up in his arms and he said whoever receives this little child receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me was going on there.

Men and women was this in that culture.

Child was considered to be the furthest down on the hierarchy of important people in their culture. Women were second from the bottom, and men were everything in the Bible says Jesus took a child this little child, but didn't seem to have any significance to anyone, even though it was Peter shot any took this child up in his arms and he said whoever receives this little one. This one who has no status. This one who doesn't have any standing. This one who would be considered expendable. Whoever receives this little one receives me, and whoever receives me receives the father who sent me, and one author I read said in that moment, the Lord taught us that we can literally shake heaven with what we do in our service on this earth by reaching out to those who are unserved and undeserving of service, according to a culture in which we live in ministering to them and touching their lives. Something happens in heaven that's triggered by something that happens on the earth. Jesus receives us and God receives us because we receive them when we serve.

We enter into a kind of intimacy with God.

That is well insulated in many respects than prayer and fasting and all the other disciplines. It puts us instantly in God's favor because that's who God is and that's who Jesus is. They serve. So the question we have to ask ourselves as we fumble along in our Christian lives. Are we connected in heaven because were serving on earth. What are we doing only say pastor when you may not come to church a week. I love to come here you teach.

That's what I do serving as learning serving is what you do to help. What you do to minister you say well what can I do what I can promise you, you can do something if your question Almighty God's given you a gift so you have a special gift that makes it possible for you to serve so I don't know what it is will find out what it is but there's no excuse for being a Christian in the kingdom of God and not having something to do that serves others.

If I understood this completely, and I wasn't serving God rush to the nursery and say how can I help because the Bible says there's one significant thing in the kingdom of baby do to help a church not a thing. When we serve these little ones.

These infants who don't have anything to offer back to us the viruses. When we receive them.

We receive Jesus and receive Jesus. We receive the father, what an incredible promise when we welcome them. When we receive them. That means we look out for their needs.

We try to help them in the areas where they have worked in Jesus himself gave us his own commentary on this practice.

When you read this to you from the book of Matthew when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory, and all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats and he will set the sheep on his right hand with the goats on the left and the king will say to those on his right hand, come, you blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry. Jesus said and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you took me and I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me and the righteous will answer him, saying, Lord, did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink. When did we see he was a stranger and taking winter naked and clothe you when did we see you sick or in prison and continue and the king will answer and say to them. Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. Jesus says when we Mr. others we minister to him and hear something else is really in my estimation, the only way you can ever minister to him. So I come to church and I worship him must worship, but the only one who can serve Jesus is by serving other people. Some of us I love Jesus, not a sermon but other people, you gotta be kidding me. Only when you serve Jesus to serve other people and in serving other people. You get hurt.

It wound disappointed and discouraged, but so did Jesus.

If you want to be Christlike you have to serve other people.

I will ask you again, this pointed question. What do you do to serve Jesus to host a Bible study work in the Sunday school you parked cars whenever it is that you do. But are you serving and there is nothing we can ever be asked to do that is beneath the dignity of a servant of Christ. If he knows he's doing it for the Lord large group of European pastors came to one of Dr. DL movies Bible conferences in the late 1800s and following the European custom of the time each guest put his shoes outside his room to be cleaned by the whole servants overnight, but of course they were in America and then have all servants in America and so Moody was walking to the dormitory that night and he saw the shoes, and he determined not to embarrass his brothers from Europe and he mentioned the need to some of his ministerial students were there and they didn't seem to be all excited about helping with the project. So Moody went back to the dorm gathered all the shoes into his room and along the world's most famous evangelist began to wash and polish the shoes of his European guests. Only the unexpected arrival of a friend in the midst of this work revealed the secret and when the foreign visitors open their doors. The next morning. The shoes were shined and they never knew by home. Moody never told anybody but his friend told a few people and during the rest of the conference.

Different men volunteered to shine the shoes of the European delegates in secret. Perhaps the episode that I just told you is a vital insight into why God used DL Moody so powerfully. He was a man with a servants heart and that was the basis of his true greatness. Ladies and gentlemen, let's just say the first time you see Jesus walking on this earth.

The first time you see them visiting this earth. He's in a poor, humble cradle surrounded by shepherds and sheep.

The last time you see them before he goes back to heaven. He's broken on the cross cruelly massacred by the Roman all of those humiliating humbling pictures of our Lord are simply to remind us that he came to serve. Somebody said how do I know if I'm serving the answer that question is easy by how you respond when somebody treat you like a servant. That's how you know and it isn't interesting when the Lord wanted to reach this world.

He reached us as a servant. He came as a servant to reach us and it's in order to help us understand that if we are to reach the world. We have to reach the world the same way I want to encourage us all to find something we can do to serve the Lord find something that God has enabled you to do, and with all of your heart, for I'm telling you right now looking back over the life of serving the Lord. There is no greater joy outside of becoming a Christian than waking up every morning knowing I get to spend my life today serving the King of Kings, the Lord of lords. What joy there is. We hope you enjoyed today's Turning Point, weekend edition with Dr. David Jeremiah. You can hear this and other programs and get more information about their ministry by downloading the free Turning Point mobile app for your smart phone or tablet or by visiting our website@davidjeremiah.org/radio that Jeremiah.org/radio.

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We want you to join us again next weekend is Dr. David Jeremiah she's another powerful message from God's word right here on Turning Point, weekend edition taking time to listen to all