SUBJECT: THE RIGHT THING FOR THE WRONG REASON
SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 20:20-24
EARLY ON, THROUGHOUT, AND AT THE CLOSE, THE BIBLE TEACHES US AN IMPORTANT LESSON. THAT IS, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU DESIRE, BECAUSE YOU JUST MIGHT GET WHAT YOU DESIRE, ONLY TO DISCOVER YOU DON’T CARE FOR WHAT YOU DESIRED.
ADAM/EVE . . .
SOLOMON . . .
ANANIAS/SAPPHIRA . . .
SOMEBODY – CONFESSION – TODAY – PASTOR – BIBLE LANE – MY OWN LIFE . . .
NOT ONLY MUST WE BE CAREFUL OF WHAT WE ASK FOR, WE MUST CONSIDER WHY WE ASK FOR WHAT WE ASK FOR. IN OTHER WORDS, CHECK OUR MOTIVES FOR WANTING/DESIRING CERTAIN THINGS IN/OUT OF LIFE.
MOTIVE – THE SENSE OF NEED, DESIRE, OR FEAR THAT PROMPTS AN INDIVIDUAL TO ACT OR BEGIN MOVEMENT. KEITH LINKOUS DECLARES “THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MOTIVES, WHEN THEY ARE PROPERLY ALIGNED. IN FACT EVERY ACTION WE PARTICIPATE IN IS FUELED BY MOTIVES. BUT WHEN MOTIVES BECOME MISALIGNED, THERE ARE MAJOR PROBLEMS THAT CAN OCCUR.”
WHEN THERE’S AN INTERTWINING OF GOOD ACTIONS WITH WRONG MOTIVES, WE CALL THAT HAVING AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE. MEANING THE REASON BEHIND YOUR GOOD ACTION IS NOT PURE. IT IS NOT WHAT IT APPEARS TO BE.
BROTHER – MEAL . . .
AGENT . . .
FREE SAMPLES . . .
IN OUR TEXT TODAY WE FIND JAMES/JOHN, THE SONS OF ZEBEDEE WHO JESUS NICKNAMED “SONS OF THUNDER” BECAUSE OF THEIR ZEALOUSNESS, THUNDEROUS PERSONLITY, PASSION, OUTSPOKENNESS, AMBITION, AND CONFIDENCE, PROMPTING THEIR MOTHER SALOME, ONE OF THE WOMEN WHO FOLLOWED JESUS FROM GALILEE, MINISTERING TO HIM FINANCIALLY, LOGISTICALLY, AND PRACTICALLY BY PROVIDING FOOD, WE FIND JAMES/JOHN PROMPTING HER TO GO TO JESUS ON THEIR BEHALF WITH A SPECIFIC REQUEST. THE REQUEST WAS . . .
PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THE PEDIGREE THEY HAILED FROM AND THEIR INVOLVEMNET IN JESUS’ INNER CIRCLE THEY FELT ENTITLED TO WHAT THEY HAD IN FACT PUSHED THEIR MOTHER UP TO ASK FOR.
THEIR FATHER ZEBEDEE WAS A LEVITE AND CLOSELY RELATED TO THE HIGH PRIEST’S FAMILY. JOHN THE YOUNGER OF THE TWO WAS KNOWN TO THE HIGH PRIEST. JAMES, THE ELDER BROTHER FROM A PROMINENT FAMILY FELT THAT BY ALL RIGHTS HE OUGH TO HAVE BEEN THE CHIEF APOSTLE. ALONG WITH PETER THEY WERE THE ONLY ONES JESUS ALLOWED TO GO WITH HIM WHEN HE RAISED JAIRUS DAUGHTER FROM THE DEAD. THEY WITNESSED JESUS GLORY ON THE MOUNT OF TRANSFIGURATION, THEY WERE TOLD TO STAY AWAKE – GETHSEMANE. . .
V. 20 -24 (EXPOUND) . . .
JAMES WANTED A CROWN OF GLORY – CUP OF SUFFERING . . .
JAMES WANTED POWER – POWER WAS IN SERVANTHOOD.
JAMES WANTED PROMINENCE – PROMISED HIS MARTYRDOM.
JAMES WOULD BECOME THE FIRST OF THE TWELVE TO BE KILLED FOR HIS FAITH.
