True Greatness Mountain Life Church/

Transcription

1 True Greatness Mountain Life Church/Life Pack/September 21-22, 2013

2 True Greatness Sermon Notes September 21-22, I. The Backstory A. The Prayer Trip 1. Jesus only took three with Him 2. Many times, Jesus took only the three with Him Jairus daughter Prayer trips Gethsemene B. The Transfiguration 1. Jesus reveals His glory 2. The Law and Prophets are summed up in Jesus 3. He revealed this only to the three C. The Failure of the Nine 1. Jesus and the three return with their secret in tow 2. They are immediately accosted with a situation The other nine disciples tried to cast out a demon and failed Jesus had to cast out the spirit II. The Discussion on the road to Capernaum A. Rabbis walked several feet in front of their disciples B. The disciples thought the space between them and Jesus provided a way for them to talk about who was the greatest 1. Jesus obviously overheard 2. Our tendency to think He doesn t hear or see 19

3 Read Mark 9:33-37 Table Talk Teens Question One: When you think of greatest, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Question Two: In Mark 9:34, the disciples had argued about who was the greatest among them. Matters of rank were important to the Jews, so it was natural for the disciples to be concerned about their status in the coming kingdom. According to Jesus, what is the essence of true greatness? Question Three: Jesus did not condemn the desire to improve ones position in life, but he did teach that greatness in His kingdom was not determined by status or rank, but rather by service. In your own words, describe what it means to be a servant. Question Four: To illustrate servanthood, Jesus placed a little child from the home in the midst of the disciples. To be a servant of all included giving attention to a child, the least significant person in Jewish, as well as Greco-Roman, society, which prized the mature adult. Can you think of some ways you can serve someone this week? Question Five: To welcome one of these little children, who represented the lowliest in society, was to welcome not only Jesus, but also the heavenly Father who sent Him. This gives dignity and purpose to the task of serving others. What is your purpose in serving others? 18 C. The teaching before the discussion (verses 31-32) 1. Jesus explained that He would be killed and resurrected 2. Nobody understood 3. Old paradigms die hard III.Jesus gracious teaching moment A. What Were You Discussing on the Way? 1. God knows 2. The revelation that God knows B. Jesus Kindness and Wisdom 1. He could have really ripped those guys! 2. Jesus encouraged them to seek greatness! 3. He simply used the moment to teach true greatness IV.What is True Greatness? A. Lead from the Bottom 1. Lay down status 2. Be a servant 3. Lay down arrogance 4. Seek first the welfare of others B. Brokenness 1. Comes from failure and difficulty 2. Emerges from repentance 3. Convinced that apart from Him I can do nothing C. The Evidence of Brokenness 1. Acceptance of little people 2. No need for recognition D. What True Greatness is Not: 1. Not expecting others to give respect 2. Not expecting others to give you their best 3. Not training your children to serve the family and others 4. Doing everything for others who need to learn to do it themselves 5. Not enabling disfunction and irresponsibility 3

4 Life Group Questions for September 21-22, 2013 Message =True Greatness Ice Breaker: Tell about the greatest person you ever knew and what made them so great. Read Mark 9: What do you observe about this passage? 2. In your own words, define what you think true greatness is. 3. What is it about Jesus way of discussing this subject that suggests that He was full of grace? 4. Why do you think Jesus used the child as an object lesson for the disciples? 5. When do you think the disciples learned to practice true greatness? What did it take for them to learn it? 6. Has God brought you to a place of brokennness? (Brokenness is when I am absolutely convinced that I have nothing to offer God and anything good that comes out of or from me is from Him.) Mark 9:33-37 Table Talk Elementary Day 1 What does it mean to serve someone? Do you know of a person who always has to be first in line? Or perhaps they always talk about how great they are? I m sure you ve met someone like this. Jesus tells us that whoever wants to be first, shall be last. List some ways that you serve others on a daily basis. Day 2 Who is the greatest in your family? What makes him/her so great? Read this week s passage, Mark 9: The disciples were embarrassed to tell Jesus what they were talking about (who was the greatest). In verse 37, Jesus talks about whoever welcomes a little child, welcomes Him. Why do you think he chose a child to teach us this lesson? Day 3 Let s end with an object lesson. Find a (clean) comb. Now, comb your hair with this comb without bending your elbow(s). Can you do it? (Perhaps, if you have long hair you can comb the end of your hair). Why not? Now, ask your Mom/Dad to comb your hair for you using the same comb. The point: sometime(s) (often times) we cannot do something on our own, and we need an act of kindness/service from someone else. What are some ways that you can serve your family? Your friends? Your neighborhood? Etc. 7. What is it about accepting a child that is perhaps not your own that suggests you have been broken before God? 8. Pray for one another. 4 17

5 Mark 9:33-37 Table Talk Preschool & Nursery Personal Devotion Pages The following pages are designed to help you enjoy a regular time alone with God. We have divided up the curriculum to help us grow wherever we are at in our relationship with God and in our knowledge of His Kingdom. Day 1: Read Mark 9:33-37 As a family, discuss some ideas on what a servant does. A servant does things for other people. Now, discuss what it means to be selfish or put ourselves first. In the reading, what does Jesus tell the disciples? Jesus was telling them that they should live their lives as servants to others by helping and putting other people first. This is what Jesus wants us to do too. Day 2: Read Mark 9:33-37 (again!) Share some names of people that you think are great and why. Jesus disciples argued with each other over which one of them was the greatest disciple. He told them they could only be great if they are putting everyone else s needs above their own. Talk about what that might look like in your own family. Memory Verse: Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all. - Mark 9:35 Day 3: Jesus was teaching His disciples and all of us to be great by treating everyone, especially little children, as we would treat Him. Share some ideas on how you would treat Jesus if He showed up at your house today. What are some things you can do for others? Activity: Make some encouraging stickers with paper/labels and crayons and/or markers. Hand the stickers out to other family members who need encouragement or who you saw being great by putting others first. LEVELS: Since we are a Colorado church, we use skiing imagery to communicate the different levels of intensity and time involved in relating to God. BEGINNER: If you are new in your relationship with God, we encourage you to try the exercises under this symbol: INTERMEDIATE: If you have walked with God for some time and would like a little more challenge and more time involvement, try the exercises under this symbol: ADVANCED: These exercises are for people who have walked with God for some time and display maturity in their relationship with Him. These exercises provide a practical way to encounter God and His truth on a regular basis. There are no rules here. Please don t hurry through the process. Slow meditation and memorization seems to soak in better than cramming. Enjoy! 16 5

6 Day One Day Five 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. Then he put a little child among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes my Father who sent me. ~Mark 9:36, 37, NLT. 2. Read Mark chapter 9: Write down in this space what the Holy Spirit says to you through your time of meditation. Memorize Mark 9: 35. Memorize Mark 9: I was at the hospital all week with my aging father who has been slowly declining from heavy doses of dementia and Parkinson s disease. One morning, a nurses aid came in and worked diligently with a fabulous attitude. Her friend and colleague came in later, and in the midst of the conversation, she let me know that the nurses aid was really a nurse, not just an aid. They had needed someone to fill in for an aid, and the nurse jumped right into the job. I commented on how impressed I was that she would work as an aid when she was a fully trained nurse. That s when I was informed that the nurses on that floor did whatever was needed at the moment. There are no menial jobs, there are only menial attitudes, she humbly quipped. Little did Susie realize that she had captured the heart of God in that statement. She had grasped true greatness. Memorize Mark 9: Jesus used a child as an object lesson because He understood that many men have a tendency to shun little children. They are messy, irritating little problems for most people who are trying to be great in the world s eyes. For Jesus, there are no menial people, just menial attitudes. 15

7 Day Five 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Meditate on Malachi 5-6. How does Malachi define what happens to a person when they repent in this passage? 3. Pray for people you love for a few minutes. Ask the Lord to lead you as you pray, teaching you to pray in the Spirit. 4. Finish your Bible memorization today. Day One After they arrived at Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples settled in the house where they would be staying. Jesus asked them, What were you discussing out on the road? But they didn t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. Most scholars believe that the first century rabbis walked in front of their disciples. Jesus may have been doing the same. This is why He asks His disciples what they were discussing while walking. He was in front of them and therefore didn t hear them. But He did hear them. ~Mark 9:33, 34, NLT As the One who embodied grace like no other, Jesus probably sighed as He overheard their discussion. The argument revealed that they still did not understand the Master or His teaching. Yes, they had left everything to follow Him, revealing a heart of total abandonment, but the character of Christ does not come with just an abandoned heart. It comes through brokenness and humility. The disciples abandoned themselves to Jesus, but did not learn humility and brokenness until they abandoned Jesus at His trial. His subsequent forgiveness and redemption raised them out of depression into brokenness, gratitude, and worship. The kind of greatness Jesus taught in the following verses does not come without brokenness, and we can t experience brokenness without the experience of failure. We may grow in all sorts of wisdom, dig deep into theology, and grow exponentially in leadership skills, but we are not Jesus kind of leader until we realize that we can do nothing to earn our righteousness or greatness in God s eyes. This usually requires us to hit a wall, just like the disciples did. Father, draw me into a deep, intimate walk with You. Help me to experience true brokenness before You. 14 7

8 Day Two 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Meditate on Mark 9: After reading this passage, write down in the space below what you think true greatness is. 4. Ask the Lord how you personally can be great in His eyes. Day Four He sat down and called the twelve disciples over to him. Then he said, Anyone who wants to be the first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else. ~Mark 9:35, NLT Jesus sees the desire in His disciples to be great and does not crush that desire in them. He gives that desire direction and points the way to find it. Notice that He does not say, Whoever wishes to be great in my kingdom. He simply says, if you wish to be great, here s how to do it. For Jesus, there is not greatness in the kingdom of God and greatness in the world. Greatness is greatness. Though man may define it differently, Jesus tells them there is only one definition for greatness and the status quo definition doesn t cut it. For Jesus, it s not great to climb to the top of the corporate ladder at the expense of family and relationships. It s not great to be a famous movie star but have a miserable private life. It s not great to be a statesmanlike politician if I ve not learned to put others first - and myself last. 5. Continue memorizing and meditating on the scriptures for this week. Jesus tells us that a lot of the truly great people are those who will never have any kind of notoriety. Some truly great people will be widely known and celebrated, but the greatness club is equally open to celebrities and nobodies as long as they learn to seek the welfare of others before themselves. Father, show me on a day to day basis how to be great in Your eyes. Your approval is what I hunger for, not that of mankind. 8 13

9 Day Four 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Read John Ask the Lord to show you where you have tried to be great in man s eyes instead of great in His eyes. 4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week. Day Two After they arrived at Capernaum, Jesus and his disciples settled in the house where they would be staying. Jesus asked them, What were you discussing out on the road? But they didn t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest. ~Mark 9:33, 34, NLT The two preceding stories are telling. We see only three of the disciples getting the privilege of going up on the mountain to pray with Jesus. There, they saw the Transfiguration (see Mark 9: 1-10). I would feel extremely special after getting chosen to be a part of that experience. As Jesus and the three came down from the mountain, they encountered the other nine disciples at work with a demonized boy. They were unable to cast out the demon and Jesus had to do it for them. If I was one of the three, I would be gloating by now. I would see that I was one of the few chosen for special prayer duty. The other nine have failed. I m a somebody, they are, well... extras. So, as macho men are apt to do, I rub the other nine s faces in it as we walk to Capernaum. It s clear to me that I am one of Jesus favorites, and therefore, am in line to be one of His great leaders when He ushers in His reign. For some odd reason, the other nine guys don t see it that way. We all should have understood then that the argument was moot. Arguments, for the most part, have nothing to do with kingdom issues. If we look just under the surface, they are more about arrogance, ego, and self image. That s why all the disciples were shamefully quiet when Jesus asked them what they had been discussing on the way. They knew He knew what they were talking about and the spotlight on their arrogance was painfully bright. It was at this point that Jesus found a teachable moment, the point of which would not be understood until after His resurrection. 12 9

10 Day Three 1. Take some time to praise the Lord for who He is and enjoy thanking Him for what He has done in your life lately. 2. Meditate on Mark 9: Bring at least three friends or loved ones to the Lord and ask Him to bring them to repentance and faith. Ask Him to show you how you can boldly love them and speak the words of Jesus into their lives. 4. Continue meditating on and memorizing the scripture for this week. Day Three Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus tried to avoid all publicity in order to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, The Son of Man is going to be betrayed. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead. But they didn t understand what he was saying, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant. ~Mark 9:30-32, NLT This narrative precedes the story about Who is the Greatest. To say that they did not understand Jesus is an understatement. I wonder how much confusion the disciples lived in day to day. Here was the most profoundly powerful man they had ever seen or even heard of, yet He avoided publicity and said things that made no sense whatsoever. Later stories give us insight into what they imagined the Messiah to be. Like all the Jews around them, they thought the Son of Man would be a military ruler who would set them free from the oppression of Rome and bring Israel back to the glory of David s kingdom. Yet, Jesus tells them that He will be murdered and resurrected from the dead. This does not fit in with their scenario they have dreamed up for their king. Jesus has told them that His kingdom is not like an earthly kingdom. His kingdom is about inner freedom, not political freedom. As if they did not even hear this statement, they continue to vie for status in His political administration. I resemble these 12 numbskulls more than I like to admit. Understanding the Kingdom is difficult because it runs polar opposite to what we know and understand. Father, teach me to understand Your kingdom and Your ways