Lessons for Disciples 10-31-2021
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Look whose looking at me
Look whose looking at me
A Proud young man walked into a room looking for his friend.
He passed two blond young women near the door who looked him over then looked at each other and said and the same time ‘NINE’.
The prideful young man puffed out his chest and drew a big smile on his face then walked over to his waiting friend.
“You won’t believe what happened, when I walked in these two attractive blond women looked me over and rated me a NINE’.
His friend replied, ‘I hate to burst your bubble but those two women only speak GERMAN’.
NINE MEANS NO IN GERMAN.
As we look at our scripture passage today,
we will see that Jesus really wanted to spend some time teaching His disciples 3 things:
that he was going to be delivered,
that he was going to be killed and
that on the third day He would rise.
But the disciples, like you and me
Had other issues going on in their heads.
Issues of pride, false pride.
that desire to put ourselves first,
and to put others down,
Like the issues James addressed in James chapter 4
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
False pride, the bad kind of pride seems to be all wrapped up in those troubles and struggle James listed.
It causes conflict and separations between our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
It has been said that
“Pride is the only disease known to man that makes everyone sick except the one who has it”
SOURCE: “Our Daily Bread,” December, 1986.
What Jesus wanted to teach
What Jesus wanted to teach
30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”
That is what Jesus wanted to teach them
The core of the gospel message
He would be delivered into the hands of men
He would be killed
He would rise on the third day
They needed to know it that information to give then assurance
to give them clarity
so that when the world and their ministry,
seemed to be coming to an end
in just a few days, they could stand up under it and go on.
Of course since they didn’t understand the teaching,
at first they all scattered and hid.
What Jesus had to also teach
What Jesus had to also teach
Did the disciples understand the lesson
did they ask questions and seek clarification
or did something like PRIDE
keep them from seeking a better understanding?
32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
Have you ever been in a class and not understand the lesson?
In that situation did you ask for an explanation, or keep quiet and
hope the lesson make more sense later?
Unless I felt very confident about the answer,
My rules for getting thru school included
1 Avoid eye contact, so your not called on
2 Don’t raise your hand and ask question
If your not called on
if you don’t volunteer any answers or question
the class will never know just how ignorant you are
They might suspect it
but they won’t have proof.
That’s not really a healthy way to live
hiding your ignorance, instead of asking for help
As someone who struggle with low self esteem.
The idea that too much pride
was keeping me from asking questions
didn’t seem possible.
But it was pride.
What kind of pride is it,
I couldn’t figure out a good term
Google didn’t even help
Pride of Image protection,
Pride of self preservation.
Never the less it is choosing ignorance over answers
when your image is on the line.
I don’t think I’m the only one held back by pride
Perhaps you have been too.
The disciples were.
Pride of comparison
Pride of comparison
Even though Jesus had a lesson plan, what were the disciples thinking about
and talking about?
Who is the greatest of them?
33 They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
The pride that keeps us from asking dumb questions can also keep us from answering questions that
will put us in a bad light.
Nobody wanted to say
Well Jesus we were talking about which one of us is your best disciple.
I’m a little surprised Peter didn’t answer that and then claim he thought he was but that kind of public declaration would have been really risky.
How did Jesus address the issue of them arguing over who was the greatest disciple?
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
He put greatness in the path of servanthood.
“Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”
That is not what they expected to hear.
Servants, slaves were the lower class of society.
Jesus goes on to illustrates a welcoming heart attitude is what He wants to see, so
36 He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”
In the culture of Jesus day, how you treated a kings representative was considered how you would treat the king if He was there in person.
So if you treated the kings representative kindly and respectfully,
that would be good.
If you treated the kings representative with contempt, or mis-treated them,
you could expect the king to send his army after you very soon.
So what were the disciple to do
Have a kind, welcoming attitude toward young and old
toward rich and poor
treat everyone royally.
Not much room there for put downs and
competition.
Pride opposing other ministries
Pride opposing other ministries
38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
So because someone outside this group of disciples and other followers,
the disciples wanted to shut them down.
A sad truth about churches is that from time to time,
they look down on anyone, outside of there own group,
their own denomination.
Rather then work together
and respect each other.
encourage each other
Jesus answer to this sectarian kind of pride was
39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us.
So if there is another ministry out there doing good, blessing people, blessing the community, in the power and strength of Jesus,
we shouldn’t cut it down
just because that is not what we are doing
that is not what our group is doing.
The Dallas Church down on Washington street
does not have a clothing closet ministry, as far as I know
They don’t have Celebrate Recovery one night a week
But they do open up their church as one of the warming centers in town.
as well as being a church that follows Christ like us.
We don’t need to put them down for not being just like us and with us.
What they do for others in Jesus’ name blesses people
What we do in Jesus’ name for others blesses people too
God sees and rewards what we all do for others in HIS name.
God sees and rewards what we all do for others in HIS name.
The good news for all of us serving Christ is that we can all get reward for our service
41 Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward.
The church with the clothing closet, will be rewarded for that good ministry
The church without a clothing closet but with a warming center, will be rewarded
Don’t let your pride separate you from others working for Christ.
Pride of life
Pride of life
Sometimes our pride takes the form of indulgences.
We serve God
We do all these good things
So we think God will look the other way
when we do a little wrong
As a pride problem, I call that pride of life.
One of the problems with sinning saints is others see what your doing
how you are living,
but this is what Jesus had to say
42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.
Causing others to stumble because of your bad example
is a huge issue in God’s eyes.
When Jesus says
it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea.
I am astounded by the enormity of that sin of pride.
Without forgiveness,
that is a hopeless situation
I don’t suppose they played the game
Would you Rather
back in Jesus day but
if the choice is
Would your rather cause a little one to sin
or
have a millstone strapped to your neck and be thrown in the sea
We might all
in ignorance have said
cause a little one to sin
But Jesus says it would be better to have the millstone and be throne into the sea
Talk about the enormity of that sin.
What is Jesus advice then
43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 44 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 46 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where
“ ‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’
Jesus advice is to find what is the cause of your sin and cut it out.
If it’s your hand such as you hit, strike or steal cut it off
if it’s your foot such as where you go cut it off
if it’s what you look at such as being a peeping Tom pluck your eye out
Before we all start heating up swords to maime ourselves
Lets stop a minute and consider
Is it really:
our hands
our feet
our eyes
That cause us to sin?
NO!
It is our thoughts.
When king David, didn’t go out with the army to fight and was on his balcony one night and sees Bathsheba bathing.
He needed to
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
King David needed to take his thoughts captive
He needed to ask himself What Would Jehovah have him Do WWJD.
You and I have thoughts every day
many of them are good
some are not.
Sometimes, we need to say
I’m not going there
then, find something else to occupy our thinking
Unbridled pride can lead us in a lot of bad directions.
And it would be better to have a millstone around our neck
then to have done some of the things that people choose to do.
We are all going to be Salted,
have trouble in our lives
but is our character Salty or bland? Jesus said
49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
Now that Jesus has made it very clear how important this issues is
Not leading others into sin
Not letting your physical desires lead you into sin
He encourages saltiness in our lives.
Salt preserves,
Salt purifies
Salt melts ice cold hearts
And he encourages
be at peace with each other
In review
What was Jesus primary lesson for the disciples,
That he will be delivered
He will be killed
He will be risen
When,
on the third day
What problem of pride did he have to address
Pride of self image protection wasn’t addressed,
but we can see it’s harm
in questions not asked
Jesus addressed
Pride of comparison, within our group
Cure
Be a servant attitude
and treat others royally
Regarding being a servant to all, Martin Luther King Jr. once said
“Not everybody could be famous, but everyone can be great because greatness is determined by service.
Price opposing other Christian Ministries
Cure
Encourage other ministries in Jesus name and power
know that you and they will both be rewarded for service in Jesus name
Pride of life/ giving yourself permissions to live a bad example before others
Cure
Cut out the thoughts and actions that are sins
Chose to be Salty
Choosing to be peaceful to others
The Christian life is wonderful and it’s rewards are in this world and the next.
But sometimes the work can seem daunting.
Linda, a first grade teacher was surprised one day by Ryan. It was the first day of school and at lunch time, all the children excitedly went off to the lunch room, except Ryan.
He was accustomed to going home at noon in kindergarten, so Ryan was getting his things ready to leave for home when he was actually supposed to be heading to lunch with the rest of the class.
Linda asked him what he was doing. "I’m going home," he replied.
Linda tried to explain that, now that he is in the first grade, he would have a longer school day.
"You’ll go eat lunch now," she said, "and then you’ll come back to the room and do some more work before you go home."
Ryan looked up at her in disbelief, hoping she was kidding.
Convinced of her seriousness, Ryan then put his hands on his hips and demanded, "Who on earth signed me up for this program?"
As believers, it’s easy to feel a little like Ryan when we consider the Christian life.
The requirements are daunting—
"Surely the Lord doesn’t expect me to forgive seventy times seven;"
"Surely he doesn’t want me to turn the other cheek when someone hurts me;"
"What does he mean, “take up my cross’?"
It isn’t long before you want to say,
"Who on earth signed me up for this program?" (Wanda Vassallo, PreachingToday.com)
Yes, the Christian life is Daunting
We are not saved by works but
as soon as we sign on with Jesus
The Holy Spirit starts working on us
like a personal trainer.
Many issues are covered today that come out of false pride.
Let’s pray and talk to God about our issues.