Last Will Be First Series

CONTRADICTIONS

LESSON II

THE FIRST SHALL BE LAST

October 15, 2006

IF YOU WERE HERE LAST WEEK YOU ALREADY KNOW WHERE I’M GOING.

FOR THOSE WHO WEREN’T HERE LET ME ASK YOU THIS . . .

WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORDS “COUNTRY MUSIC,” WHAT DO YOU THINK OF?

LAST WEEK I MADE A JOKE SOME DIDN’T FIND FUNNY, BUT IN MY MIND IT’S A JOKE THAT’S TRUE.

WHEN I HEAR THE WORDS COUNTRY MUSIC I HEAR A CONTRADICTION IN TERMS.

FOR ALL THOSE WHO DISAGREE WITH ME THERE IS STILL HOPE FOR YOU TO CHANGE YOUR MIND.

AS LONG AS YOU’RE STILL BREATHING THERE IS HOPE.

I BRING THIS UP BECAUSE I STARTED A SERIES CALLED CONTRADICTIONS.

A CONTRADICTION IS TO ASSERT OR EXPRESS THE OPPOSITE OF.

A CONTRADICTION IS SOMETHING THAT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.

HERE ARE A COUPLE OF AMERICAN STYLE CONTRADICTIONS I FOUND ON THE WEB.

ONLY IN AMERICA DO YOU H AVE DRIVE UP ATM MACHINES . . . WITH BRAILLE LETTERING.

I LOVE THIS ONE.

ONLY IN AMERICA DO DRUG STORES MAKE THE SICK WALK TO THE BACK OF THE STORE TO GET THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS . . . WHILE HEALTHY PEOPLE BUY CIGARETTES AT THE FRONT.

PLEASE TELL ME HOW THESE MAKE SENSE.

THEY SEEM CONTRADICTORY.

AS WE MENTIONED LAST WEEK THE BIBLE IS FULL OF APPARENT CONTRADICTIONS.

OUR FIRST LESSON WAS, IF YOU WANT FREEDOM YOU MUST BE A SLAVE TO JESUS CHRIST.

TODAY I WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE SAME THOUGHT OF SLAVERY BUT FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE.

PLEASE TURN WITH ME TO MATT. 20:20-28.

EARLIER IN CHAPTER 20 JESUS IS TELLING A PARABLE AND HE SAYS IN V. 16 THE LAST WILL BE FIRST AND THE FIRST WILL BE LAST.

IN CHAPTER 19 JESUS IS HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH RICH YOUNG MAN AND IN V. 30 JESUS SAYS THE SAME THING.

THE FIRST WILL BE LAST AND THE LAST WILL BE FIRST

AND IN THE VERSES I JUST READ JESUS SAYS, IF YOU WANT TO BE FIRST LEARN TO SERVE OTHERS–BE A SLAVE.

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ANYTHING SO CONTRADICTORY?

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD ANYTHING THAT MAKES SO LITTLE SENSE?

LET ME TELL YOU WHY WE HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS IN OUR SOCIETY.

WE HAVE SO MANY PROBLEMS IN OUR SOCIETY BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A SOCIETY THAT PROMOTES IT’S ALL ABOUT ME.

THINK ABOUT THIS...

MODERN ADVERTISING IS INGENIOUS. THEY UNDERSTAND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMANITY.

HEAD ON, APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD, HEAD ON APPLY DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD.

THERE ISN’T A PERSON ALIVE WHO DOESN’T HATE THAT COMMERCIAL, BUT EVERYONE WHO HAS EVER SEEN IT KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IS BEING DRILLED INTO OUR BRAIN?

IT’S ALL ABOUT ME AND WHAT I DESERVE.

BUY THIS CAR . . . YOU DESERVE IT.

BUY THIS BOW FLEX AND GET THE BODY YOU DESERVE.

BUY THIS CREAM AND THE GET THE SKIN YOU DESERVE.

SO MANY OF TODAY’S COMMERCIALS TELL ME I DESERVE WHATEVER IT IS THEY’RE SELLING.

IT’S ALL ABOUT ME. IT’S ALL ABOUT MAKING ME HAPPY. RECEIVING WHAT PLEASES ME.

YOU KNOW I’VE GOT MIKE MCGINNESS IN MY HEAD.

I CAN HEAR HIS SATAN VOICE – IT’S ALL ABOUT ME, HA, HA, HA, HA – IT’S ALL ABOUT ME.

BUT JESUS SAID, HIS FOLLOWERS NEED TO REPOSITION.

REPOSITION MENTALLY, WHICH LEADS TO REPOSITIONING PRACTICALLY.

THIS TOTALLY CONTRADICTS HOW WE LIVE, BUT I’VE GOT NEWS FOR YOU . . . HOW WE ARE LIVING ISN’T WORKING THAT WELL.

REPOSITION MENTALLY. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?

3DO NOTHING OUT OF SELFISH AMBITION OR VAIN CONCEIT, BUT IN HUMILITY CONSIDER OTHERS BETTER THAN YOURSELVES. 4EACH OF YOU SHOULD LOOK NOT ONLY TO YOUR OWN INTERESTS, BUT ALSO TO THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS. (PHIL.2:3-4)

MAN, IS SCRIPTURE TOUGH!

IT IS SO HARD TO DO THIS. OUR NATURAL TENDENCY IS TO LOOK OUT FOR ME NOW SCRIPTURE TELLS ME TO CONSIDER OTHERS FIRST.

THERE IS A PRAYER THAT SHOULD BE PART OF OUR PRAYER TIME.

JESUS HELP ME REMEMBER TODAY IT’S NOT ABOUT ME.

IF WE MENTALLY REPOSITION WHAT DOES THIS REPOSITIONING LOOK LIKE PRACTICALLY?

38"YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID, ’EYE FOR EYE, AND TOOTH FOR TOOTH.’ 39BUT I TELL YOU, DO NOT RESIST AN EVIL PERSON. IF SOMEONE STRIKES YOU ON THE RIGHT CHEEK, TURN TO HIM THE OTHER ALSO. 40AND IF SOMEONE WANTS TO SUE YOU AND TAKE YOUR TUNIC, LET HIM HAVE YOUR CLOAK AS WELL. 41IF SOMEONE FORCES YOU TO GO ONE MILE, GO WITH HIM TWO MILES. 42GIVE TO THE ONE WHO ASKS YOU, AND DO NOT TURN AWAY FROM THE ONE WHO WANTS TO BORROW FROM YOU. (MATT. 5:38-42)

43"YOU HAVE HEARD THAT IT WAS SAID, ’LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND HATE YOUR ENEMY.’ 44BUT I TELL YOU: LOVE YOUR ENEMIES AND PRAY FOR THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU . . . (MATT. 5:43-44)