Sermon written by Pastor Larry C. Brincefield; preached on 7/11/04
Title: Game Shows: Some Questions aren’t so trivial
Text: Mark 10:35-39a; Mark 8:37
Introduction
1. I used to love to watch game shows (back when I watched more tv).
• Jeopardy
• Wheel of Fortune
• Hollywood Squares
• Who wants to be a Millionaire?
• These shows all involve answering trivia questions…for the most part…
• Although in Wheel of fortune, you are guessing letters…
• And in Jeopardy, you are given the answer, and you’ve got to come up with the question.
2. In fact, I have several games in my collection that are “trivia question” games…
• Trivial pursuit…
• And so on.
• I’d be interested how much money has been spent in the pursuit of trivia!
3. Here are some questions from some of the books and games in my collection, raise your hand if you want to take a stab at the answer.
• According to a 1973 Poll, who was the most hated and feared person in history? (1. Richard Nixon, 2. Adolf Hitler, 3. Jack the Ripper)
• According to a 1974 Poll, who was the most hated and feared person in history? (1. Hitler, 2. Harold Wilson, 3. Richard Nixon)
• What are the 3 primary colors (red, yellow, blue)
• What are the 3 secondary colors (orange, green, purple)
• A group of lions is called a “pride”, a group of bees is called a “colony”; what is a group of whales called? (pod) Elephants (herd); dolphins (school); Kangaroos (mob); wolves (pack); crows (murder).
• From 1980 to 1990, which state had the highest percentage increase in population? A. Alaska, B. Florida, C. California (Alaska, 42%, Florida was 4th with 32%)
• What is the 6th Commandment? (Thou shalt not kill)
• What is the longest book in the Bible? (Psalms)
• What is the shorted book in the Bible? (2 John—only 13 verses, 298 words)
• What is the shortest verse in the Bible? (Jesus wept. John 11:35)
• What kind of wood did Noah use to build the ark? (Gopher)
• What is my middle name? (Carter)
4. Trivia is fun…but when you get right down to it…
• Trivia questions are just that…Trivial…
• Trivia, according to the dictionary, means: unimportant, or insignificant.
5. This morning, I want us to look at some questions that Jesus asks…
• And let me quickly point out that they aren’t trivial at all…
• They are of utmost importance.
Read Text: Mark 10:35-39a; Mark 8:37
Body
1. What Do You Want?
A. One day, 2 of Jesus’ disciples came to Him…
• James and John…they were ambitious…
• They were hungry for fame and power…
• And they were selfish…
• They came up to Jesus and said, “we want you do for us whatever we ask”
• Pretty arrogant statement…
• Kids will try to do the same thing…
• They will come up to their parents and ask, “I want to ask you a question, will you say yes?”
• And Jesus basically asks the same thing most parents today would ask, “well, what do you want”…”What’s your question”?
B. When Jesus asked them “What do you want”?
• That’s when their true nature came out…
• They said, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory” Mark 10:37 (NIV)
C. This morning, Jesus is here…in the Presence of His Holy Spirit…
• And He wants to ask you some questions…
• And these aren’t trivial questions…
• Like, “What’s the capital of Oregon”? (Salem)
• Or “What are the 5 great lakes?” (huron, Ontario, Michigan, erie, Superior)
• It’s okay if you don’t know the answer to those questions...
• You can probably get by all your life and never know those things…
• But this question that Jesus asks is of utmost importance?
• What do you want?
• What do you REALLY want?
• What do you desire more than anything else in the world?
• You need to answer Jesus’ question…
• James and John answered that question…
• They said, “we want to sit at a place of honor by Your side…”
• “We want to be famous…honored…we want to be treated special”
• “me…me…me…I…I…I.”
• Well, at least they answered truthfully…
• I encourage you to do the same…
• What do you really want?
• What is really important to you?
• Answer truthfully.
2. What Can a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?
A. In Mark 8:37, Jesus asks another question: “What can a person give in exchange for his/her soul?”
• Can a person be bought?
• Does every person have their price?
• We must answer these questions, because it goes to the fundamental basis of our integrity and character.
• Some people will give up their soul for the pursuit of pleasure…
• Some people will give up their soul for a relationship with a man or woman…
• Some people will give up their soul for fame…
• Some people will give up their soul for riches…
• Some people will refuse to submit to Jesus Christ because of pride…so their pride is given in exchange for their soul…
B. This question is of crucial importance…
• I really don’t care if you know Abraham Lincoln’s middle name (he had no middle name)
• It doesn’t matter if you know that the Bearcats is the name of the University Cincinnati sports teams..
• What matters…
• What is really important…
• Is this question that Jesus asks…
• 2,000 years ago, Jesus asks this question of His disciples and the people who had gathered around Him…
• Today, Jesus is asking you this same question…
• “What will you give up for your soul”?
• What is more important to you now…
• Than where you will eternity later…
• We place so much importance on the here and now…
• Sometimes we even forget about eternity…
• And what forever really means..
• It boggles the mind…
• It is so hard to grasp…
• So, there’s a real danger in focusing on something that seems important now…
• Without ever realizing that our decisions now…
• Affect where we will spend eternity later…
• So don’t just flippantly toss out an answer to Jesus’ question…
• Think about it…
• Answer it truthfully…
• “what are you giving up for your soul?”
• “What are you pursuing in THIS life, that will have an impact on where you spend the NEXT life?”
3. Are You able to Drink the Cup that I drink?
A. Back to James and John,…
• The brothers…
• The sons of Zebedee…
• Also called “The sons of thunder” by Jesus (Mark 3:17)
B. They came to Jesus asking for special honor…
• And for special privilege…
• And Jesus quickly informs them that they don’t know what they are asking for…
• And then He asks them this very important question…
• Some people might indicate that this is the most important question of all…
• “Are you able to drink the cup that I drink”?
• “Are you able to suffer the things that I will suffer?”
• “Are you able to stand firm in your faith when everyone turns against you”
• Are you able to remain a Christian when the crowd is trying to hurt you?
• Are you able to choose Christ…when to do so might bring your death?
• Jesus is saying, “you say that you are my disciples, prove it”…
• “What evidence is there that you have suffered for what you believe?
• What price have you paid?
• Enough with all the talk…what have you DONE?
• It’s easy to SAY you’re a Christian at Church…
• But are you able to stand up for Christ at work?
• At School?
• At Wal-Mart?
• Publix?
• The Mall?
C. You see, this is an important question…
• More important than who won the World Series in 1914? (Boston Braves over the Philadelphia Athletics)
• More important than knowing that “rub-a-dub-dub, 3 men in a tub” refers to the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker…
• Are you able to drink the cup that Jesus drank?
• Are you willing to “take up your cross and follow” Him?
• Are you willing to pay the price?
• Are you willing to stand firm when everyone else is compromising?
• Are you willing to be a Christian, even if it means losing your life?
• Jesus said, “whoever loses His life for My sake will find it”
• Jesus Himself learned that truth…
• When He willingly went to the cross and died for you and for me…
• Are you willing to drink that same cup?
Conclusion
1. Game shows can be pretty fun!
• If you’ve got a mind to remember the most mundane of trivial details …
• You could will millions of dollars…
• For the rest of us, at the least, trivia games provide mild entertainment.
2. But there is another game in town…
• And in fact, it’s not a game…it’s dead serious…
• it’s not very easy to play…
• and you probably won’t win millions of dollars…
• you probably won’t get your face on television…
• But, if you can answer the questions properly…
• You will have more fun than you ever thought possible…
• And the prizes are far better than anything you’ve ever seen on “The Price is Right”
• It’s not easy…
• You won’t be able to “phone a friend”…
• Or “poll the audience”…
• To help you with the answers…
• In fact, you can “play” it right now…
• All you gotta do is answer 3 questions…truthfully…
• They’re not my questions…
• They are Jesus’s questions…
1. What do you want?
• Fame? Fortune? Notoriety?
• Or do you want Jesus more than anything?
2. What are you willing to give in exchange for your soul?
• Is your Christianity cheap?
• Are you willing to sell it for a night of pleasure?
• Or moment of men’s applause?
3. Are you willing to drink the cup that Jesus drank?
• Is your Christianity just for show?
• Will you give up on it at the first sign of suffering?
• Or will you join Jesus on the Via Dolorosa…
• “The way of suffering”
• Don’t get me wrong…true Christianity isn’t all suffering and misery…
• In fact, TRUE Christianity is a blast!!
• But it’s not always easy…
• And it’s not always fun and games…
• And it’s certainly not trivial.
***(I got the idea for this sermon from an outline written by Robert H. Reardon in Doran’s Ministers Manual 1974 edition)
