The Virtuous Kingdom: Evidence of the Reign of God in the Human Heart
The Virtue of Lordship
Mark 11:27-33
Sermon Objective: A surrendered heart stands in contrast to one that is stiffnecked and resistant to Divine authority.
Supporting Scripture: Jeremiah 18:1-6; Matthew 25:31-46; Philippians 2:5-11
Series Intro:
We have been looking at Mark chapter 11 for the past few weeks. We have chosen to look at it from specific vantage points … to look at some of the Kingdom virtues God has imparted to the believer. The chapter shows our sovereign King making His way into his Holy City and temple for an official inspection. In doing so, He declares His reign.
“The Virtuous Kingdom: Evidence of the Reign of God in the Human Heart” is an appropriate title for such an event.
We have looked at five virtues already.
† In verses 11:1-11 we discovered the power and importance of living a lifestyle of worship
† In 11:15-17 we praised God for the great gift of prayer. There are so few parameters with prayer and so many blessings! We dare not neglect such a privilege.
† In 11:12-14 & 20-21 we sensed the need to take spiritual inventory and make sure that our spiritual fruit gives evidence of spiritual life.
† In 11:20-24 we discovered the power of living by faith. Trusting God to guide us brings strength, hope, and victory that faulty objects of faith cannot produce.
† In 11:25 we discovered God’s reigning grace compels and empowers us to forgive one another.
This is our final virtue … today we will look at Mark 11:27-33:
27They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28"By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?"
29Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!"
31They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, ’From heaven,’ he will ask, ’Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32But if we say, ’From men’...." (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)
33So they answered Jesus, "We don’t know." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."
Vickie and I were visiting my daughter and son-in-law in Ithaca a few weeks back. I am an early riser so instead of disturbing everyone I slipped out of the house, found a small diner at the top of the hill, and had breakfast. I got there before the newspapers arrived. In fact, I got there before anyone arrived.
The waitress told me to set where ever I’d like so I found a table where I could look down the mountain at the lake, sat with my back to the wall, and just reflected, drank coffee, and waited for breakfast to arrive.
Soon others began to come in. As first I didn’t notice or pay attention.
Then I noticed an entire table of people staring at me. It was quite uncomfortable. I looked at each one, gave them a frown so they’d know I noticed, and looked back toward the lake.
"What are they looking at me for!?" I wondered with intense introspection, fear, and even anger. "What is so interesting that an entire table would turn and stare at me so rudely!?" It was very unpleasant and made me very self-conscious.
Then I saw two more people, at another table, doing it.
Same insecurities, questions, and anger.
Then another.
I was almost at a place where I was going to just leave! "Maybe I didn’t belong here! Maybe they reserved the room or this was their place for early Saturday morning and I was intruding." All sorts of things like this flooded my mind.
Then ... THEN … I got another thought ... slowly I turned around and looked up and there it was right above my head on the wall ... it was a chalk board with all the specials of the day on it!
It wasn’t about me at all! But I sure thought it was. I thought I was the special of the day! But I wasn’t. They weren’t even paying attention to me.
There is something about that story that informs us about God’s authority. You see, in the final summation, life is about serving the living and loving God. It is about submitting to His authority not our own. Too many times we make ourselves out to be the “special of the day.” But it really isn’t about you.
When we view ourselves differently it changes the entire view of the situation at hand.
This becomes very important as I speak to you at our year-end. As I give you my annual pastor’s report I do so from a posture of a servant-leader. Because in the end it is the Lord God I/we answer too and desire to please. I want what we do at the Naz to honor Him.
For the last couple of years I have shared with you God’s emerging vision; a 20/20 Vision for the Year 2020. The Father is giving us a clear view of His passion for the people of the North Country. He wants to use us to reach deep into the heart and the hearts of those who live here. He wishes to reclaim their lives and is seeking a people who are willing to give themselves to His call. It hinges on surrendering to His LORDSHIP.
The Father has a plan that goes way beyond what we could ask or think. He desires to pour His Spirit out upon us and use us to bring rivers of living water to the North Country. It is contingent upon LORDSHIP.
A believe that communities go through spiritual seasons. Some seasons are times of harvest when, for whatever reason, they are exceptionally receptive to the Gospel. I believe such a time is coming in the near future and God is seeking to prepare the Naz (along with our congregations) to be poised and ready to receive the harvest. If we choose to be attentive to other matters He will pass us by and pour out his power on another congregation. Being spiritually poised is a matter of LORDSHIP.
Jesus has confidence in His church and we will (we are) make ourselves available to be an agent of His grace. God is sharpening our focus, honing our skills, and getting us spiritually ready.
This exchange in Mark eleven between the religious folk and Jesus highlights the conversation that goes on in every soul and in every church. You can sense the bluntness and the sternness in their voices. The issues are right down to bare bedrock. The religious folk know it, and Jesus knows it. So they come to him with the ultimate question, "Who gave you the authority to do this? Who told you that you could act like this?" (RSV)
That question is behind all human motivation. When you refine any issue down to its essentials, what you have left is the whole issue of authority in life.
† Why do you act the way you do?
† How do you justify what you say and do?
No one is ever their own ultimate authority. We all refer to something other than ourselves -- something that compels us or something we feel is important -- that governs our decisions. When we deal with this question of authority, therefore, we are dealing with what is absolutely basic and fundamental to all human behavior.
Jesus puts them (and us) right on the spot. Notice again how he simplifies the issue, clearing away all nonessentials. All authority is either of God or men; there are no other authorities. We are either trying to please God and obey him, being responsive to truth that he reveals, and responsible to his power; or we are trying to please men.
Just as Jesus came to a stone temple looking for evidence of His reign He also comes to the human temple (and the local church) looking for evidence of His reign. When He finds a spark of life he flames it into an inferno of passion. When He finds a lukewarm heart He passes by without further regard; just as He did the hearts of these “important men” whom He inspected in the passage in question.
It is impossible to fool the living God. It is all a matter of Lordship.
So what does the “Lordship” look like? What is the evidence that Christ’s authority governs the human heart … and the church? According to this story:
A SURRENDERED HEART FACES TRUTH AND CONFORMS.
Remember what I told you last week? God’s will and Word do not bend to anyone. But they offer great things to everyone!
Have you ever watched a sailboat tack or “beat” through the water? When a sailboat is attempting to make a destination against the wind it is continually adjusting its course. It can be, at any given time, 35 degrees off course but still headed towards its destination. It is continually moving from side to side but still headed towards “home.”
Faith is that way. Our destination is clear and certain but we are people of finite spiritual depth and we are ever growing. We develop spiritually and always discover new truth and application of the Word. If we are truly following Christ and surrendering to His Lordship then we will always be “tacking” or conforming to His Word.
The danger lies with those who, like the religious leaders in the story, refuse to surrender to Christ’s Lordship. They, you see, are not “tacking” towards home; they have turned their sailboat into the wind and are letting other forces direct their course. As verse 32 says, “They feared the people”.
It is easy to let other forces direct the course but it never gets you home!
God makes so many promises for the people who hunger and thirst for righteousness. He makes so much available for the congregation that seeks the presence His Spirit. He blesses those who follow Him in truth.
We will be such a people.
Yes, this story teaches us that A SURRENDERED HEART FACES TRUTH AND CONFORMS.
It also teaches us that:
A SURRENDERED HEART IS OPEN TO NEW WAYS FORWARD.
“They” say you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. “They” are wrong. Everyone here is learning new ways to navigate the world we live in. How many of you did not use email 17 years ago? How many of you didn’t even know what it was!? How many of you recycle? How man of you did 20 years ago? How many of you have changed your lifestyle and eating habits to reflect a healthier lifestyle? How many of you view our world different since “the new normal” of 9/11? How many of you drive a more efficient automobile than you did when you first started driving?
Old dogs do learn new tricks. It is required if we are to move forward. Never forget the adage “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” Because it is true!
It is hard to put aside preference and traditions. We all have things we are comfortable with. We have grown to think they are correct just because we have always done it that way. But life in Christ is more than just a comfortable shoe … it is fluid, it is adventurous; it means growth and change.
I can assure you that God has more in store for you as an individual than you have at present. He is methodically moving you toward Christ-likeness. He is patiently opening new doors of service and grace.
The same is true for us as a congregation too. As we follow the living and loving God it will take us forward. Our Women’s Ministry motto states it well – we move “From Glory to Glory.”
The religious establishment of Jesus’ day stopped moving forward. When it did, it died. They were not concerned with seeking God’s Messiah. They sketched a portrait of faith with a permanent marker and were unwilling to alter it in any way. When their image did not look like God’s image they rejected God’s image.
But Christ thinks better of His Church. He gives us everything we need to move forward in life and faith.
Wrap-Up
The Scriptures use many images to convey the Spirit’s work within a transforming heart; wineskins, seeds, fruit trees, and clay are a few that come to mind. In each case there is an element of the imagery that suggests the work is not finished.
The Father replaces wineskins, lets seeds grow, prunes trees, and removes lumps from the potter’s wheel all because He has a plan and a purpose for us; a plan to do us good not to harm us (Jeremiah 29:11).
Jesus comes to the Holy City and inspects the temple looking for signs of His reign. He does that in your heart and mine. He does that in His church too.
Do you remember what those signs are?
† Spiritual Worship
† Prayer
† Spiritual Fruit
† Faith
† Forgiveness towards one another
† And a submission to His Lordship
In conclusion, let me say that I am convinced that we are on the right path and God will bless us. It is our desire to be one of the faithful churches in the North Country. As we continue to come together as a spiritual family, conform to His Word and will, and keep pace with the Spirit we will se Him make us into the congregation he needs us to be.
The harvest is great and the laborers are few. Let’s serve Him with joy and in faith!
This sermon is provided by Dr. Kenneth Pell
Potsdam (New York) Church of the Nazarene
www.potsdam-naz.org
Children’s Sermon
Ignoring the Offer
Prop used: Play money -- $1000.00 bills.
I have a gift for all of you today. It is a $1,000.00 bill! Now, just so you know, its play money but it is always fun to receive a gift.
Let me give you each one.
Did you like receiving a gift from me today? I like giving them to you too.
Did you know that if I offer you a gift that it means you do not have to take it? It would have been possible for you to refuse my generous gift of … play money.
There are many ways you could have done this. You could very politely say “no thank you” and refused to take it from me. You could have stood up and ran back to your seat or even out of the building too. Either of these would have been what we call “refusals.” It would have been a very clear and strong way to let me know you did not want my gift.
But there are other ways you can choose to not take my gift too. You could have just sat there and ignored me when I offered it to you. You could have just chose not to hear me.
Did you know the Lord Jesus has given us a very generous offer? It is not make-believe or fake or play, like the money I gave you either. It is real and very very valuable! Jesus offers to forgive you for your sins and give you a home in heaven. A real home in a real heaven!
However, you don’t have to accept His offer either. Many people don’t they refuse to admit that He is the Lord. How did they do this? Some just say “No.” Some run away. But some just ignore Him… they choose to just not listen.
But the Bible says that pretending you don’t hear Him will not work. Someday he will make it clear that he made an offer and we chose to deliberately not obey.
In Matthew 25 Jesus tells a story about some people that pretended not to hear Him. They refused to obey him by ignoring. "They also will answer, ’Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ "He will reply, ’I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
I think the people in this story knew what God was asking. They called him “Lord” which means “Master.” But they chose to ignore Him and by doing so they showed he was not their master.
We need to be very careful. What we say and do shows what it important to us. It shows whether or not we are serving the LORD. I trust you will receive his gifts and instruction with gladness instead of ignoring his offer.
