SPEAKER_00: So this morning we continue with the series on Mark.
SPEAKER_00: So we are gonna read in Mark chapter 9, verses 30 to 37.
SPEAKER_00: This is the word of God.
SPEAKER_00: They went on them again, they went uh on from there and passed through Galilee.
SPEAKER_00: And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him.
SPEAKER_00: And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.
SPEAKER_00: But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
SPEAKER_00: And they came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house he asked them, What were you discussing on the way?
SPEAKER_00: But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
SPEAKER_00: And he sat down and called the twelve, and he said to them, If anyone will be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.
SPEAKER_00: And he took child and put him in the midst of them, and talking him in his arms, he said to them, Whoever received one such child in my name receive me, and whoever received me received not me, but him who sent me.
SPEAKER_00: Let us pray.
SPEAKER_00: Father, thank you for your word, and uh thank you for because uh this is uh your holy word and you want to talk to us.
SPEAKER_00: And I I pray that you can really open our hearts, open our minds, that we can be able to understand in a deeper way, in a clear way, what you wanna tell us and how you want to lead us.
SPEAKER_00: Please, God, talk to us today in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.
SPEAKER_00: Once in a cemetery, these phrases were read on tombstones.
SPEAKER_00: One is uh, he was a great man.
SPEAKER_00: Another one, his greatness did not fit in this world.
SPEAKER_00: If you search for the word big on Google, you will get virtually endless results.
SPEAKER_00: Likewise, other words with similar meaning to big, including major, colossal, magnificent, to appear quite a bit as well.
SPEAKER_00: Nowadays it is very normal to hear the key to success is trusting yourself.
SPEAKER_00: No one can tell you how to live your life.
SPEAKER_00: That is very normal these days.
SPEAKER_00: The question is, what is the criterion to measuring the greatness of a man?
SPEAKER_00: A certain theological school has emphasized for years, discover the champion within you.
SPEAKER_00: Today greatness is defined by appearance, last name, and possessions.
SPEAKER_00: But God defines greatness in other terms.
SPEAKER_00: We live today in an age, in the age of self-exaltation.
SPEAKER_00: So let's review the context of this passage a little bit.
SPEAKER_00: Christ's dead is the ultimate expression of humility and death to self.
SPEAKER_00: As verses 30 to 32 point out.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus' public ministry in Galilee had ended.
SPEAKER_00: He was now focused on private teaching to his disciples.
SPEAKER_00: The goal was to reach Jerusalem where Jesus was headed to give his life for his people and resurrect.
SPEAKER_00: For them was irrational to think of a dying Messiah.
SPEAKER_00: This was uncomprehensible and unacceptable to an average Jew.
SPEAKER_00: They might have been worried that if Jesus died, who will resurrect him?
SPEAKER_00: That was maybe a question they had in their mind.
SPEAKER_00: They were struggling with that question.
SPEAKER_00: They had missed the heart of the message.
SPEAKER_00: They were not focused on what Jesus was trying to teach.
SPEAKER_00: They didn't understand anything.
SPEAKER_00: And this first part of the text, Jesus' humility is evident.
SPEAKER_00: So in verse 30, he says to them that no one should know.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus was not after fame, his purpose was far greater.
SPEAKER_00: Today we want everyone to know about us.
SPEAKER_00: Though social media or true social media were a call of the ego is appreciated.
SPEAKER_00: However, Jesus did not come to appear in the media to feed his ego.
SPEAKER_00: Not at all.
SPEAKER_00: As they traveled, Jesus taught his disciple and he said to them, the Son of Man will be betrayed.
SPEAKER_00: This means that he was being handed over for judgment and punishment.
SPEAKER_00: It is not only about Judah's betrayal, but about the Father's sovereign surrender, who gives his son as part of the eternal plan of redemption.
SPEAKER_00: And at the same time, Jesus freely submit to his divine purpose.
SPEAKER_00: Let's say your child does something wrong according to the law.
SPEAKER_00: I wonder how many parents will hand their children over.
SPEAKER_00: The Heavenly Father gave His Son for us, demonstrating the ultimate humility and servant heart.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus, in humble obedience and loving service, freely submitted to an unjust trial and was sentenced to die as a criminal.
SPEAKER_00: His submission reveals not only his perfect righteousness, but also his humility and dedication to God's redemptive plan to humanity.
SPEAKER_00: The disciples did not understand everything Jesus said because they were spiritually blind.
SPEAKER_00: They couldn't see.
SPEAKER_00: So the past tense verb discussing in Greek means to argue and quarrel as well as pondering.
SPEAKER_00: So they were fighting intensely to secure a privileged place.
SPEAKER_00: The disciples expected really a kingdom in this world.
SPEAKER_00: And it is clear when Jesus was resurrected, and they asked him later in Acts chapter 1, verse 6, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus in the same passage, he clarified three points where the disciples misinterpret interpreted.
SPEAKER_00: The first one that his focus is set on the spiritual, not the temporal.
SPEAKER_00: The second one, the kingdom would be for everyone, not just for Israel.
SPEAKER_00: And the third one, that it would be established in God's time and not immediately as they wanted.
SPEAKER_00: So John Stott says the following The verb restores shows that they expected a political and territorial kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: So the paradox here is this to truly live, you must die.
SPEAKER_00: To be great, you must serve.
SPEAKER_00: All of this leads us to the first major call of this passage.
SPEAKER_00: God called us to resist the temptation of pride.
SPEAKER_00: At the Transfiguration, Jesus revealed his glory to Peter, James, and John.
SPEAKER_00: Then they come down the mountain and Jesus frees a demon-possessed young man.
SPEAKER_00: So imagine the disciples' emotions.
SPEAKER_00: They were so excited to see Jesus' power and action.
SPEAKER_00: And then probably they were thinking, okay, with this leader, this Messiah, we are gonna be able to conquer the world.
SPEAKER_00: But suddenly, for the second time, he tells them how he will be betrayed, tortured, and killed in Jerusalem, and that he will rise again on the third day.
SPEAKER_00: These are deep prevalent topics.
SPEAKER_00: But they argued about who would be the greatest.
SPEAKER_00: They wanted Jesus to guarantee them a life of princess by royal decree, basically.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus reserved the order of this way of thinking.
SPEAKER_00: The gospel is counter-cultural.
SPEAKER_00: We all deal with this issue since our ego only wants to be great.
SPEAKER_00: How many times have we heard about the cross, which represents renunciation, surrender, humiliation?
SPEAKER_00: And yet how easily we forgot we need to hear constantly about the cross of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: As my pastor friend Rob Emsler says, have you noticed that when you look at a group photo you are in, the first thing you do is check how you look.
SPEAKER_00: Isn't it?
SPEAKER_00: Before paying attention to anyone else, we focus on ourselves.
SPEAKER_00: Have you noticed that we are constantly arguing about who is the greatest?
SPEAKER_00: President, for instance, or the greatest baseball player in the history, or the greatest scientist, etc.
SPEAKER_00: The greatest, the greatest.
SPEAKER_00: The essence of sin is self-centeredness.
SPEAKER_00: The disciples thought in terms of power, wealth, position, and name.
SPEAKER_00: Did you notice that when Jesus asked them, What were you talking about?
SPEAKER_00: They were silent.
SPEAKER_00: They knew they were wrong.
SPEAKER_00: They felt ashamed and embarrassed.
SPEAKER_00: How far they were from understanding the heart of God.
SPEAKER_00: This can be a good wishes.
SPEAKER_00: But the Bible warns against selfish ambition that makes you put your foot down on other people.
SPEAKER_00: And Christianity with true greatness is not in domination, but in service.
SPEAKER_00: In service.
SPEAKER_00: The scripture warned in Romans 12, verse 3, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly.
SPEAKER_00: So come to me this chapter, this passage in Daniel chapter 4 and the whole chapter.
SPEAKER_00: And tells how God taught Nebuchadnezzar how he was the true king.
SPEAKER_00: Because of his pride, God humbled him.
SPEAKER_00: He lived like the animals of the field for seven years.
SPEAKER_00: After those seven years, Nebuchadnezzar repented and prayed.
SPEAKER_00: And prayed this way, my reason was restored to me, and I bless the Most High and praise and glorify him to live forever.
SPEAKER_00: Hopefully, we can pray that prayer.
SPEAKER_00: Don't let pride blind you to reality.
SPEAKER_00: You haven't surrendered to Jesus, stop carrying the weight alone.
SPEAKER_00: God calls you to humbly trust that his sacrifice is enough to save you.
SPEAKER_00: May God reveal who we are so that we may find simplicity of heart.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus in this chapter already finds greatness.
SPEAKER_00: The greatest is the servant.
SPEAKER_00: And verse 35 of our text highlights if anyone wants to be first, must be last of all and servant of all.
SPEAKER_00: In today's world, the goal is to reach the peak of success, but the kingdom of God is the opposite.
SPEAKER_00: James Montgomery Boyce tells the following story.
SPEAKER_00: The Japanese saint Toyohiko Kagawa, upon embracing Christianity, passionately prayed, O God, make me like Christ.
SPEAKER_00: Though battling tuberculosis, he deliberately chose to live amid the harsh condition of a Tokyo's lamp to serve those in need.
SPEAKER_00: He shared his bed with a man suffering from scabbies.
SPEAKER_00: He gave his clothes to beggars and was left with nothing but an old kimono.
SPEAKER_00: At first, his humble and sacrificial lifestyle invited mockery.
SPEAKER_00: However, over time he earned great respect.
SPEAKER_00: Weak and coughing, walking through the rain, he boldly proclaimed, God is love.
SPEAKER_00: Whatever there is love, God is present.
SPEAKER_00: Kahwa taught that God doesn't reside in grand temples, just only temples, but among society outcasts, the sick, beggars, and prisoners.
SPEAKER_00: His message was unmistakable.
SPEAKER_00: To truly encounter God, one must serve the needy.
SPEAKER_00: In the kingdom of God, the way down is actually up.
SPEAKER_00: If we want to go up, we need to go down.
SPEAKER_00: The upside down kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: That is the title of this message.
SPEAKER_00: James 4, 6 says, God receives the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus not only spoke powerfully about service of humility, but showed it by washing his disciples' feet.
SPEAKER_00: He didn't come with a fancy degree, but with a towel and water, symbol of humble service given to others, not for self-exaltation.
SPEAKER_00: The greatest of a man who claimed to follow God is not determined by how many servants he has, but by how many people he serves.
SPEAKER_00: In the time of Christ, governors, kings, and authorities had slaves in their service, and the world considered them great.
SPEAKER_00: But Jesus changed the course of history.
SPEAKER_00: He set new values.
SPEAKER_00: So in this passage, he wants show an example, and so in verse 35 it says that Jesus sat down and that was a specific action.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus did teachers remained seated to instruct.
SPEAKER_00: So it's time for a lesson.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is gonna teach.
SPEAKER_00: And he took a child and put him in the midst of them.
SPEAKER_00: And so Jesus, to demonstrate the importance of humility and redebunk their arrogant argument about who was the greatest, took a child and put him close by.
SPEAKER_00: Back then, children were considered the lowest in society.
SPEAKER_00: Even though they could be easily distracted and misled, Jesus used them to teach an important lesson.
SPEAKER_00: So D.A.
SPEAKER_00: Carson, a theologian, he said, the child is a model in this context, not of innocence, faith, or purity, but of humility and indifference to social status.
SPEAKER_00: We are not humbled by nature.
SPEAKER_00: We are selfish and consumed by pride.
SPEAKER_00: That is my reality, and I need to fight with that every day, all the time.
SPEAKER_00: For those who wonder, how can I truly be a Christian?
SPEAKER_00: He who wishes to be a follower of Christ must possess the humility of a child.
SPEAKER_00: We need to profound a profound work of the Holy Spirit in our heart.
SPEAKER_00: God called us to humble ourselves and admit that we cannot accomplish anything on our own, and that we must trust in Jesus alone for our salvation.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus, after lifting the child in his arm, according to verse 37, he declared, Whoever received one such child in my name, received me.
SPEAKER_00: And whoever received me, received not me, but Him who sent me, the Heavenly Father.
SPEAKER_00: The apostles had to humble themselves, knowing they had to rank, not rank, to earn the kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus uses the lease of to show what it means to be truly great.
SPEAKER_00: Pride drives people to exalt themselves, to impose their orders, to achieve their ambition at any cost, and to receive praise from others.
SPEAKER_00: Great people in the celestial kingdom aren't those who push their way through the or seek honor, but those who humbly submit to others and look after the interests of others.
SPEAKER_00: One of the qualities appreciated in child is confidence.
SPEAKER_00: However, children are overconfident.
SPEAKER_00: That is why we teach them do not talk to strangers, right?
SPEAKER_00: So one day I was uh watching my granddaughter, she is uh 10-month already, and so suddenly she was surprised by uh the sound of a vacuum cleaner in my home.
SPEAKER_00: So it was the first time she had heard uh the noise, and and then she turned to me and she hugged me, you know.
SPEAKER_00: And then uh I could see she was afraid.
SPEAKER_00: At the same time, she trusted me as a grandfather.
SPEAKER_00: Today some claim that children must be like adults to understand enough to trust in Jesus, but nevertheless, Jesus said the adults must be like children to be part of the kingdom of heaven.
SPEAKER_00: A pastor once said, the whole Christian life is rooted in three key commands of Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: First, he said, Come to me, that is salvation.
SPEAKER_00: The second one, follow me, that is discipleship.
SPEAKER_00: And the third one, he said, abide in me, and that is the spirit, fill life.
SPEAKER_00: These three statements contain the truth that only by being humble and filled with the spirit, God will do wonderful things through us.
SPEAKER_00: The more we invite the spirit in, the more we open ourselves up and yield control to the spirit.
SPEAKER_00: Remember, to be filled with the spirit is to be controlled by the spirit.
SPEAKER_00: To be filled by the spirit is to say, search me, oh God, and know my heart.
SPEAKER_00: Show me what is getting in the way, what is blocking fellowship with you and with other people.
SPEAKER_00: We need to surrender to the Holy Spirit, to Jesus, and open our hearts.
SPEAKER_00: And God is gonna be doing amazing things in your life.
SPEAKER_00: For sure.
SPEAKER_00: I guarantee that.
SPEAKER_00: Trust in Him.
SPEAKER_00: Beware of arrogance and pride that will distance you from God.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus uses children to encourage us to humility.
SPEAKER_00: Friends, when you die, will someone say he was a great man or she was a great woman.
SPEAKER_00: Psalm 103, verses 15 and 16 says, As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes flourishes like a flower of the field, for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
SPEAKER_00: Popularity is fleeting, success is temporary.
SPEAKER_00: The best reward we will receive will be when we heard the master say, My son, well done, good and faithful servant.
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to your new home.
SPEAKER_00: Welcome to your home.
SPEAKER_00: We must not cling to professional, financial, or social achievement.
SPEAKER_00: Only Christ is lasting.
SPEAKER_00: The disciples, even while walking with Jesus, often had their eyes covered.
SPEAKER_00: They didn't understand what he was really doing.
SPEAKER_00: And many times neither do we.
SPEAKER_00: What we truly need really is Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: We need to know him more so that his character is formed in us.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus didn't call his disciples to become spiritual celebrities.
SPEAKER_00: He called them to be humble, to co-workers in the kingdom of God, in his kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: And that same calling is still true for you and for me today.
SPEAKER_00: So embrace success with caution.
SPEAKER_00: Receive it with gratitude, but with restraint.
SPEAKER_00: Always recognizing Jesus in everything.
SPEAKER_00: Someone wrote about the Wild West the following.
SPEAKER_00: Telling of a weaker native tribe fleeing from a stronger one at night, the sheep told his people to wait until midnight, then escape under cover of darkness.
SPEAKER_00: They arrived at a stream solemn by melting snow, its current rushing powerfully.
SPEAKER_00: The sheep ordered the young braves to carry the sick, elderly, and children across, and some ignored him and tried crossing along, but the current swept them away one by one.
SPEAKER_00: Those carrying other found the extra way kept their feet firm, and all of them reached the far shore safely.
SPEAKER_00: If we live our lives concerned only with ourselves, as the disciples suggested, when we argue about who will be the greatest, we risk being carried off by the powerful current of today's culture.
SPEAKER_00: Let your true diploma not be human recognition, but a towel and basin to wash your neighbor's feet.
SPEAKER_00: In Matthew 20, 28, Jesus remarked, Even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
SPEAKER_00: That is the weight of the kingdom.
SPEAKER_00: That is the path to true greatness.
SPEAKER_00: God can keep leading us and showing us our heart.
SPEAKER_00: Let's pray.
SPEAKER_00: Father, thank you so much for this message.
SPEAKER_00: We come before you with empty hands.
SPEAKER_00: Nothing we achieve is in this life, whether success or popularity, can be taken with us on the day we go to our heavenly home.
SPEAKER_00: Make us sensitive to your Holy Spirit that we may see who we truly are and humble ourselves before you, the King of Kings.
SPEAKER_00: Help us to be among those who carry a towel to serve others with humility.
SPEAKER_00: I pray all this in Jesus' name.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.