BE GREAT IN GOD’S KINGDOM (Outline)
September 14, 2008 --
PENTECOST 18 --
Mark 8:30-37
INTRO: In this life there is a lot of emphasis place on being important. The Olympics have just finished. The gold medal winners are the important ones. The fall football season continues. The winning teams are the great teams. The losers are not so important or great. As believers you and I are to look at greatness with our eyes of faith. The world measures greatness in wealth, power, honor, and winning at all costs. Christians consider greatness in light of God’s word. It is not always who is important but what. The message of Christ is of the utmost importance. This message of Christ is the greatest message that always needs to be championed by the Christian church on earth. Paul reveals the importance of Christ. "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice" (PHILIPPIANS 1:18).
BE GREAT IN GOD’S KINGDOM.
I. Seek God’s truth.
II. Be eager to serve.
I. SEEK GOD’S TRUTH
A. Verse 30a opens by telling of Jesus traveling with his disciples. They are far north of Jerusalem.
1. Galilee is the region west of the Sea of Galilee. Not many Jews lived in this area.
2. That was part of Jesus’ plan, verse 30b, 31a. Jesus would soon enter Jerusalem.
3. Jesus would enter with praises on Palm Sunday and be crucified on Good Friday.
B. The disciples were in great need of personal, intense teaching and training from Jesus.
1. Jesus tells the disciples the truth, verse 31b. Only Jesus in the NT used “Son of Man”.
2. Old Testament prophets referred to “son of man” who would come to suffer as a substitute.
3. Jesus would be betrayed into the hands of men, specifically Judas. Jesus would also rise.
C. Verse 32. The disciples did not understand. Amazingly they were afraid to ask Jesus questions.
D. No one should be afraid of the truth. Yet we may act like the disciples and be quiet rather than speak to God. God is not scary. At times our pride stands in the way of asking. Our pride stops us from finding out what we really, honestly need to know. We have inherited this sinful, prideful nature from Adam and Eve. They listened to Satan and sinned. They did not speak with God even though God walked and talked with the day after day. It is vitally important that we always seek God’s truth. God’s word is truth. "Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’"(JOHN 8:31,32). The life and death and resurrection of Jesus, our Savior, has freely set us free from the power of sin, Satan, and even death. This is God’s truth that all need to know.
E. We struggle in this life with seeking God’s truth and then applying it in our lives. This world tries to distract us from God wants us to have. Jesus told the parable of the sower and the seed. Some seed fell on hard ground, grew, and died when the sun came out. It had no root. Jesus continues. "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature"(LUKE 8:14). At times the worries of this life take away the joy of salvation that is ours. The world would have us focus on riches and pleasures, or the lack of them, more than forgiveness and eternity. Eternal salvation is important in the truth of God’s kingdom.
F. Our encouragement this morning and every day is to seek God’s truth. It is God’s truth that makes all the difference in the world. Without forgiveness there is no eternal life. Without eternal life everything else means absolutely nothing. The simple truth of God’s word has not changed. Jesus Christ is the Way and the Truth and the Life. Many may reject Christ. Others deny Christ. By grace we believe in Christ. "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us"(1 JOHN 5:13,14). We can ask God anything with boldness and confidence.
BE GREAT IN GOD’S KINGDOM.
When you seek the truth you discover how much God loves you.
II. BE EAGER TO SERVE
A. Verse 33a. Jesus and his disciples are back in the coastal town that served as Jesus’ headquarters.
1. The disciples had walked many miles with Jesus. They walked a lot and they talked a lot.
2. Verse 33b. Jesus heard their discussions. Jesus asked them for a summary of their talks.
3. Verse 34. The disciples were ashamed. They were concerned about their own importance.
B. Verse 35. Jesus teaches the disciples those who want to be first must be the very last, servant of all.
C. Verse 36. Jesus uses a small child to make his point. Children were loved but not great in society.
1. Verse 37a. The disciples were to be welcoming of those not considered great or important.
2. Verse 37b. Jesus teaches that he is God’s Son. Jesus more than a carpenter from Nazareth.
D. Humility in this world is not a characteristic that is very valuable. Our nation tends to look out only for number 1. That means if you want to serve there are many who will let you do just that. The follower of Christ is at odds with those who follow the world and its vision of success. But we have the perfect example that always serves as our motivation to do what God wants and not what the world wants. "Whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many"(MATTHEW 20:27,28). The Son of Man who created all things came to this earth to serve his creatures. Christ died that we would live – forever.
E. The Lord has called us out of darkness into his light. By grace we are saved to serve. We serve our God who saved us by loving our fellow man. The world around us looks only to take care of them. As followers of Christ we look around us to help those who are our neighbors. "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves"(ROMANS 12:9,10). The Lord does not limit our brotherly love to only people we know, like, or are related to. The believer strives to love even those who stand opposed to the Christ.
F. God’s truth is filled with examples for believers to be ready to serve. Note that we can serve others only as we know and believe just how much the Lord has done for us. We can do nothing out of love for others except that we confess that “God first loved us”. Knowing this truth of God we confess this truth of God with lives that serve others. "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God"(MICAH 6:8). What an accurate and beautiful description of the fruits of faith of the serving believer! Our world seems to be doing just the opposite. It is all the more important for us “to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”. This is our calling. This is our joy. This is greatness in God’s eyes.
CONC.: To be great in God’s kingdom is to understand what (not always who) is important in God’s kingdom. What is important is the simple message of the gospel of Christ. When this message is important in our lives we discover greatness in God’s kingdom. This world grows more and more wicked with each passing day. Thus it is important for believers to constantly seek God’s truth. We do this whenever we hear God’s word and whenever we read or study God’s word. God’s truth has been and will always be the same. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…."(1 CORINTHIANS 15:3,4). This is the simple but vital truth we need to appreciate more fully every day. This is the simple and vital truth that we will want to share with the world as we are eager to serve others still imprisoned by sin. You will BE GREAT IN GOD’S KINGDOM as you daily seek the truth and as you always, eagerly serve others with God’s truth. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min.(Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun)
BIBLE STUDIES: TUES. -- 6:00pm (Min) + 7:30pm (Med) @ NCF / 10:55am @ Redeemer (Sun)
/ Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
PENT. 18 readings:
ISAIAH 55:6-9;
PHILIPPIANS 1:18b-27;
MATTHEW 20:1-16;
(PSALM 27)
