The Twelve- Selfishness. Series

INTRODUCTION

• MOVE CLIP COURAGEOUS

• SLIDE #1

• A selfish heart is a heart that only cares about the holy trinity, ME, MYSELF, and I!

• Once this insidious vice grabs ahold of one’s heart, it can drag a person down a dangerous path of destruction.

• When one has a selfish heart, one will do whatever they need to do to get what their heart wants.

• A selfish heart has ruined many marriages, families, and lives.

• Our prison is loaded with folks who did things from a selfish heart that landed them in prison.

• When we are ruled by selfishness, our minds will allow us to justify anything and everything so long as we get what we want, so long as those selfish desires are fulfilled.

• We are fooling ourselves to accept some of the craziest stuff when we are ruled by a selfish heart.

• When one allows a selfish heart to control their life, one of the things that will happen is we will tend to drift from God. If we are not careful, we could drift so far away that we could cause ourselves so serious trouble.

• Today as we conclude our A Drifting Heart Series, we take a look at Jesus closest followers, the Twelve.

• We will be in Mark 9:33-37 today. The situation the text covers will offer us some insights as to what selfishness can do to a person and their relationship with Jesus.

• We will start with verses 33-34

• SLIDE #2

• Mark 9:33–34 (HCSB) — 33 Then they came to Capernaum. When He was in the house, He asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” 34 But they were silent, because on the way they had been arguing with one another about who was the greatest.

• SLIDE #3

SERMON

I. Selfishness puts a wall between you and God.

• This event happened after Jesus was transfigured (Mark 9:1-ff) in the presence of Peter, James, and John. I am sure those three told the others what they saw.

• I am also pretty sure the others were somewhat jealous they were not present when that glorious event took place.

• Jesus cracks me up sometimes.

• So, apparently, they had been walking with Jesus at the head of a single file, as was typical for itinerant teachers and disciples. Jesus had not been part of their conversation, although He knew what they had been saying, so Jesus asks them what they were arguing about.

• I think these guys were arguing a little under their breathes because they did not want Jesus to hear what they were arguing about.

• So, Jesus asks them, what are you all arguing about?

• Here’s how the disciples answered, SILENCE!

• Why were these men silent?

• Why didn’t these men who were close to Jesus not give an answer?

• By the way, this was not the only time this discussion took place, it happened a couple of other times.

• When our hearts are focused on our selfish desires, it will put a wall between ourselves and God because deep down, we are embarrassed by our selfishness.

• The Twelve were probably too embarrassed to confess that they had been arguing about their relative positions in Christ’s program and particularly His coming kingdom.

• As I said, perhaps the special privilege given to Peter, James, and John at the Transfiguration had prompted this discussion.

• Their arguing also implies they were placing too much emphasis on the external glories of the kingdom, just as the general populace regularly did. This would have made Christ’s announcement of His death most challenging to understand.

• When we are focused on our own selfish desires, we build walls.

• As a father and husband, if everything in the home is about me and my desires, I do not want to talk about it because I know deep down, I am not right.

• I will argue with you and justify why I am acting and thinking the way I am.

• I want my way no matter what, nothing will get in the way of that.

• I will build a wall between anyone or anything that gets in the way of me fulfilling my selfish desires.

• These guys wanted to be rock stars on the in the kingdom, they wanted the dominant positions in the kingdom.

• When this situation arose on another occasion in Matthew 20:20-ff when the mother of James and John asked Jesus to give them a special place, the other disciples got mad at James and John.

• Why?

• Because they were all selfishly seeking high positions!

• When we are driven by selfishness, we will build a wall between ourselves and Jesus. We do this because we do not want Jesus to see what we are doing.