The DISPOSITION For POSITION-II—Mark 10:35-45
Attention:
Outdoor Life
"You're in incredibly fine condition," the doctor concluded after finishing a thorough physical. "How old did you say you were, sir?"
"Seventy-eight."
"Seventy-eight! Why, you have the health of a sixty-year-old.
What's your secret?"
"I guess, Doc, it's due to a pact the wife & I made when we got married. She promised that if she was ever about to lose her temper, she'd stay in the kitchen 'till she cooled off. And I pledged that when I got angry I'd keep quiet, too, & go outside until I calmed down."
"I don't understand," said the doctor, "How could that help you stay so fit?".....
"So, "I guess you could say I've lived an outdoor life."
Need:
What is supremely difficult for anyone who ministers is that his/her ‘power & position’ is only attained thru the ‘allowance’ of others who wield power & hold position. It does not have to be officially delegated or recognized position & power.
Jesus characterized the disposition needed for holding position & power in Jesus’ disciples.
There is a proper disposition for holding position & power in Jesus’ disciples.
What is the proper disposition for position & power in Jesus’ disciples?
12 ties/considerations regarding position & power in Jesus’ disciples.
Earlier we found that Position & Power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
1. Our COMFORT Disposition(:35a)
2. Our SUPPLIER Disposition(:35b)
3. Our MANEUVERINGS Disposition(:35c)
4. Our EXPECTANCY Disposition(:36)
5. Our WANT TO Disposition(:37)
6. Our PREPAREDNESS(Personal) Disposition(:38-39a)
7—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our VESTMENT Disposition(:39b)
Explanation:(:39b) Committed/Devoted/Passionate
:39—“They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, & with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;”
Though detached from the rigors of “drinking” the same “cup” as their Lord will, they will indeed still partake fully of that “cup.” They will likewise undergo the same “baptism” as does Jesus.
And Jesus’ “cup” is martyrdom.
No matter how difficult it will become, for these disciples, they will surely undergo great distress in following Jesus so that their faith will be stretched to its very limits. Their very lives will not only be threatened but surrendered.
Israel was fully vested in her impending judgment:
Hosea 8:7-9—““They sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no bud; It shall never produce meal. If it should produce, Aliens would swallow it up. Israel is swallowed up; Now they are among the Gentiles Like a vessel in which is no pleasure. For they have gone up to Assyria, Like a wild donkey alone by itself; Ephraim has hired lovers.”
Your commitment to Christ must be overwhelmingly directed. It must take precedence over everything in your life. You must be so fully Vested in God & His Christ that you will not look back!
“Indeed”—men—Particle—1) Truly, certainly, surely, indeed. Strong—a primary particle; properly--Indicative of affirmation or concession (in fact); usually followed by a contrasted clause with de[but, &, etc.] (this one, the former, etc).
Argumentation:
Acts 11:29—12:3—“Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, & sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas & Saul. Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.”
Col. 1:21-26—“And you, who once were alienated & enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, & blameless, & above reproach in His sight-- if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded & steadfast, & are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, & fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages & from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints.”
Rev. 1:9—“I, John, both your brother & companion in the tribulation & kingdom & patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God & for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Gen. 19:17, 24-26—“So it came to pass, when they had brought them[Lot’s family] outside, that he said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.””.....“Then the LORD rained brimstone & fire on Sodom & Gomorrah, from the LORD out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, & what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him, & she became a pillar of salt.”
Lk. 9:57-62—“Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes & birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go & bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go & preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go & bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, & looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.””
1Cor. 10:12-14—“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”
2Tim. 3:10-12—“But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, & all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
Jn. 12:24-26—““Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground & dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, & he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; & where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.”
Illustration:
My nephew Andrew’s dental pursuits/He has always shown an interest in dentistry/He has taken the dental exams for entering Dental School twice now & has done well each time, but there are a very limited number of students which the dental schools will accept/He has been denied twice but he continues on/He has been tempted to lose heart & has been ridiculed/He is taking post-graduate classes associated with building dentures BUT he remains hopeful that he will be allowed into Dental School!/He is Vested/Our VESTMENT Disposition
?Are you VESTED in the work of Christ?
Application:
*?Is your VESTMENT Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
8—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our PREPARER(God) Disposition(:40)
Explanation:(:40) Determiner/Decider/Destiny
:40—“but to sit on My right hand & on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.””
Though Jesus as the Son of Man & God all authority regarding the judgment of all men, He has not been granted authority regarding those, aside from Himself, who will ‘hold what position’ in heaven.
Whether these/this place(s)/position(s) is/are even ‘a position’ at all in the human sense of it & has already been “prepared” by someone other than Jesus. Thus it is implied that God the Father has determined this standing in His own perfect providence.
Matthew’s 20:23 adds “prepared by My Father,” whereas here ‘the Father’ is implied rather than stated outright.
Not Jesus’ decision but the Father’s & His decision is determined by our submission to Him thru Jesus!
“Prepared”—etoimazw—1) To make ready, prepare—1a) To make the necessary preparations, get everything ready; 2) metaph.—2a) Drawn from the oriental custom of sending on before kings on their journeys persons to level the roads & make them passable, 2b) To prepare the minds of men to give the Messiah a fit reception & secure his blessings. Strong—from etoimov[adjusted, ready]; To prepare.
Argumentation:
God has made His choices...
1Cor. 12:7-11—“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one & the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”
Heb. 11:13-16—“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them & confessed that they were strangers & pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.”
In that city we have a place...
Jn. 14:1-3—““Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go & prepare a place for you, I will come again & receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
1Cor. 6:1-7—“Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, & not before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law against brother, & that before unbelievers! Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?”
Our PREPARATION is undertaken here, now by our PREPARER.
Heb. 13:14—“For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.”
Mat. 6:21—““For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Illustration:
The data sheets I produced at Skidaway for Gus Paffenhöfer/Many hours were put into them/I did not seek a higher position nor did I expect it because I had not been trained for it/Gus & other scientists published but not me/I did get my name mentioned in two publications but that had been prepared for me by Gus—I knew nothing of it!/Our PREPARER Disposition
A tailored suit or dress/Made specifically for you/Not for anyone else/Our PREPARER Disposition
I enter the sanctuary not really knowing what will happen & accepting of any special activities which others might be there to offer/I do not Prepare the service/I do my part to participate in it but it is prepared by others/Our PREPARER Disposition
?Are you satisfied with the PREPARER’s(God’s) choices?
Application:
?Is your PREPARER Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
9—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our EXPOSURE Disposition(:41)
Explanation:
:41—“And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James & John.”
The other disciples rightly expressed an “...angry resentment....The ten felt that James & John had taken advantage of their relation to Jesus.”—RWP
Though they were with Jesus, they were not convicted by the Holy Spirit as He would indwell them later.
“Began”—arcomai—Aorist Middle Deponent Indicative—1) To be the first to do (anything), to begin; 2) To be chief, leader, ruler; 3) To begin, make a beginning. Strong—middle voice of arcw(through the implication of precedence); to commence (in order of time).
“Greatly Displeased/Much Displeased/Indignant”—aganaktew—1) To be indignant, moved with indignation, be very displeased. Strong—to be greatly afflicted, i.e. (figuratively) indignant. Used 7X.
Argumentation:
Jn. 3:14-21—““And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, & men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light & does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.””
Prov. 1:27-33—“When your terror comes like a storm, And your destruction comes like a whirlwind, When distress & anguish come upon you. Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD, They would have none of my counsel And despised my every rebuke. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled to the full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them; But whoever listens to me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.””
Eph. 5:8-16—“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, & truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
Mk. 8:31-33—“And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, & be rejected by the elders & chief priests & scribes, & be killed, & after three days rise again. He spoke this word openly. And Peter took Him aside & began to rebuke Him. But when He had turned around & looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.””
Illustration:
My father-in-law was administrator with the ‘United Way’ back in the 70‘s & 80‘s/The job required him to join the Country Club in whatever town he lived/The Country Club was where the money resided/Businessmen-Landowners-Lawyers-Doctors-City Council members-Politicians were all part of the Country Club/Advantage was sought to ‘get in good’ with those with deep pockets, Subversively without being exposed/Our EXPOSURE Disposition
Some join churches solely to get a cheap plot in the cemetery, with no real commitment to Jesus/Our EXPOSURE Disposition
Some join churches to subversively barter their way into heaven/These never get too involved—OR—they get very involved, doing what they do solely in the flesh—attempting to cover(prevent the exposure of) their lack of faith/Our EXPOSURE Disposition
Application:
?Is your EXPOSURE Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
10—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our WORLDLINESS Disposition(:42)
Explanation:(:42) Negative example
:42—“But Jesus called them to Himself & said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, & their great ones exercise authority over them.”
Jesus is giving them a negative example for comparison in the way the world approaches position & power. It wields a heavy hand in pushing, controlling, & corralling others in the way they have determined what is right. There is no inward drive to submit on the part of those controlled.
“Called...to Himself”—proskaleomai—1) To call to; 2) To call to one's self; 3) To bid to come to one's self; 4) metaph.—4a) God is said to call to himself the Gentiles, aliens as they are from him, by inviting them, through the preaching of the gospel unto fellowship with himself in the Messiah's kingdom, 4b) Christ & the Holy Sprit are said to call to themselves those preachers of the gospel to whom they have decided to intrust a service having reference to the extension of the gospel. Strong—To call toward oneself, i.e. Summon, invite.
“Considered/Accounted/Recognized as/Regarded as”—dokew—1) To be of opinion, think, suppose; 2) To seem, to be accounted, reputed; 3) It seems to me—3a) I think, judge: thus in question, 3b) It seems good to, pleased me, I determined. Dokew refers to the subjective judgment, which may or may not conform to the fact. Dokew & oiomai, describe a subjective judgment growing out of inclination or a view of facts in their relation to us. Oiomai is a subjective judgment which has feeling rather than thought (dokew) for its ground. Strong—To think; by implication--To seem (truthfully or uncertainly).
“Rulers over/To rule/Rulers”—arcw—1) To be chief, to lead, to rule. Strong—a primary verb; To be first (in political rank or power). Used 2X.
“Lord...over/Exercise lordship over/Dominate”—katakurieuw—1) To bring under one's power, to subject one's self, to subdue, master; 2) To hold in subjection, to be master of, exercise lordship over. Strong—To lord against, i.e. Control, subjugate. Used 4X.
From—kata— a primary particle; (prepositionally) Down(in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case with which it is joined)—&—kurieuw—1) To be lord of, to rule, have dominion over; 2) of things & forces—2a) To exercise influence upon, to have power over.
“Great ones/Great men/High Officials/Men of High Positions”—megav—Strong—[including the prolonged forms, feminine megalh, plural megaloi, etc.; compare also megistov, meizwn]; Big(literally or figuratively, in a very wide application).
“Exercise authority over/Exercise power over”—katexousiazw—1) To exercise authority, wield power. Strong—To have (wield) full privilege over. Used 2X.
From—kata—a primary particle; (prepositionally) Down(in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case with which it is joined)—&—exousiazw—To control.
Argumentation:
1Jn. 2:15-17—“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, & the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, & the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
1Jn. 4:1-7—“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, & every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, & is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, & have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, & the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth & the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; & everyone who loves is born of God & knows God.”
Jn. 15:19—““If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Rom. 12:1-3—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”
Jer. 6:13-15—““Because from the least of them even to the greatest of them, Everyone is given to covetousness; And from the prophet even to the priest, Everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of My people slightly, Saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ When there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No! They were not at all ashamed; Nor did they know how to blush. Therefore they shall fall among those who fall; At the time I punish them, They shall be cast down,” says the LORD.”
Illustration:
We may pride ourselves on being a ‘Christian nation’ but that ‘Christian nation’ proffers &/or turns a deaf ear to drunkenness, revelry, prostitution, human trafficking, greed, etc./Our WORLDLINESS Disposition
Most movies & TV ‘shows’—The term itself is to ‘show-out’ to proffer mostly what should not be proffered...to do what should not be done/Proffers worldliness/Do you forego the assembling of God’s people together(have to get home) so you can catch the game, or your favorite show/Our WORLDLINESS Disposition
Easter celebrations/Do we blindly limit this to easter eggs & bunny rabbits?...what the world believes... what is most popular in order to get more people in the church?/Our WORLDLINESS Disposition
Christmas celebrations/Do we blindly limit this to snowflakes, Christmas trees & Santa Claus?...what the world believes... what is most popular...in order to get more people in the church?/Our WORLDLINESS Disposition
Application:
?Is your WORLDLINESS Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
11—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our SERVILE Disposition(:43-44)
Explanation:(:43-44) Servant attitude/Servile nature/Servanthood
:43—“Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
Working to be noticed gets me noticed by men/Working in Christ attains God’s desire regardless of the notice of men.
“Great”(See :42)—megav—Strong—[including the prolonged forms, feminine megalh, plural megaloi, etc.; compare also megistov, meizwn]; Big(literally or figuratively, in a very wide application).
“Servant/Minister”—diakonov—1) One who executes the commands of another, especially of a master, a servant, attendant, minister. Diakonov represents the servant in his activity for the work; not in his relation, either servile, as that of that doulow, or more voluntary, as in the case of yerapwn, to a person. doulow opposed to diakonov denotes a bondman, one who sustains a permanent servile relation to another. Diakonov also may designate either a slave or a freeman, it denotes a servant viewed in relation to his work. Strong—An attendant, i.e. (genitive case) A waiter(at table or in other menial duties); specially--A Christian teacher & pastor(technically, a deacon or deaconess).
:44—“And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.”
Thus absolutely none can be “first” or greatest among the sons of the kingdom! This is because there must submission to others & if both are submissive then no one can be above another.
The concept of authority is vastly different in God’s kingdom, at least among those who are both first & last. Yes, God must be recognized as greatest but aside from that all are the same with no one wielding power over another. How is that possible?
We will indeed judge angels & the world(1Cor. 6:1-3), yet it is not possible for us to do so rightly & properly while refusing the framework & tooling by which such weighty eternal judgments are determined. the Spirit of God must be given complete control & will be in the day we are resurrected & translated.
“First/Chiefest/Great”—prwtov—1) First in time or place; 2) First in rank; 3) First, at the first. Strong—Foremost (in time, place, order or importance).
“Slave/Servant”—doulov—1) A slave, bondman, man of servile condition—1a) S slave, 1b) metaph.--One who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending & advancing his cause among men, 1c) Devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests; 2) A servant, attendant. Doulov is the usual word for slave, one who is permanently in servitude, in subjection to a master. Strong—A slave(literal or figurative, involuntary or voluntary; frequently, therefore in a qualified sense of subjection or subserviency).
Argumentation:
Ezek. 34:2-7—““Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy & say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? You eat the fat & clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force & cruelty you have ruled them. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; & they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, & on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, & no one was seeking or searching for them.” ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:”
Ezra 9:5-8—“At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; & having torn my garment & my robe, I fell on my knees & spread out my hands to the LORD my God. And I said: “O my God, I am too ashamed & humiliated to lift up my face to You, my God; for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, & our guilt has grown up to the heavens. Since the days of our fathers to this day we have been very guilty, & for our iniquities we, our kings, & our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, & to humiliation, as it is this day. And now for a little while grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, & to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes & give us a measure of revival in our bondage.”
1Pet. 5:1-7—“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder & a witness of the sufferings of Christ, & also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; & when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, & be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Gal. 5:13-17—“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite & devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another! I say then: Walk in the Spirit, & you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, & the Spirit against the flesh; & these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
Rom. 6:16-18—“Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
Heb. 9:11-14—“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater & more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats & calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls & goats & the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”
Php 2:1-8—“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection & mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, & coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself & became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
Jn. 13:12-15—“So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, & sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher & Lord, & you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord & Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.”
2Cor. 12:7-10—“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Illustration:
Have you ever worked with someone who is a constant complainer?/Or ordered from a take out window from someone who has a scowl on their face & obviously hates their job?/People who continually complain about their job always seem to want to run things for themselves & always for their own ends!/These end up being horrible bosses, owners or managers & always end up as unwilling servers/Whereas those who offer ‘service with a smile’ do well in life/Our SERVILE Disposition
Application:
?Is your SERVILE Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
12—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our RANSOM Disposition(:45)
Explanation:(:45) Positive example
:45—“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, & to give His life a ransom for many.””
“The word translated "ransom" is the one commonly employed in the papyri as the price paid for a slave who is then set free by the one who bought him, the purchase money for manumitting slaves.”—RWP
“Served & Serve/Ministered & Minister”—diakonew—1) To be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon—1a) To minister to one, render ministering offices to—1a1) To be served, ministered unto, 1b) To wait at a table & offer food & drink to the guests,—1b1) of women preparing food, 1c) To minister i.e. supply food & necessities of life—1c1) To relieve one's necessities (e.g. by collecting alms), to provide take care of, distribute, the things necessary to sustain life, 1c2) To take care of the poor & the sick, who administer the office of a deacon, 1c3) in Christian churches--To serve as deacons, 1d) To minister—1d1) To attend to anything, that may serve another's interests, 1d2) To minister a thing to one, to serve one or by supplying any thing. Strong—To be an attendant, i.e. Wait upon(menially or as a host, friend, or figuratively--Teacher); technically--To act as a Christian deacon.
“Ransom”—lutron—1) The price for redeeming, ransom—1a) Paid for slaves, captives, 1b) For the ransom of life; 2) To liberate many from misery & the penalty of their sins. Strong—Something to loose with, i.e. A redemption price (figuratively, atonement). Used 2X.
Argumentation:
Isa. 53:4-6, 10-11—“Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, & afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”.....“Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, & be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.”
2Cor. 5:20—6:1—“Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.”
Titus 2:11-14—“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness & worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, & godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope & glorious appearing of our great God & Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed & purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”
Illustration:
Panama City during spring break/A teenage boy or girl is jailed/Mom & Dad arrive with bail money not merely to set free their son or daughter/Such freedom makes them turn from what got them there in the first place—wanton selfishness/They came to serve your best interests/Our RANSOM Disposition
Jesus has rescued us from our own propensity to sin!
Application:
?Is your RANSOM Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Action:
Position & power in Jesus’ disciples stems from...
7. Our VESTMENT Disposition(:39b)
8. Our PREPARER Disposition(:40)
9. Our EXPOSURE Disposition(:41)
10. Our WORLDLINESS Disposition(:42)
11. Our SERVILE Disposition(:43-44)
12. Our RANSOM Disposition(:45)
1. Our COMFORT Disposition(:35a)
2. Our SUPPLIER Disposition(:35b)
3. Our MANEUVERINGS Disposition(:35c)
4. Our EXPECTANCY Disposition(:36)
5. Our WANT TO Disposition(:37)
6. Our PREPAREDNESS Disposition(:38-39a)
Presented 04/06/2014pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
