← Back to sermon library

welcome to everyone it's good to be back in the house of our God on the Sabbath evening if you would please turn with me in your Bibles to psalm 32 for our call to worship psalm 32 psalm 32 i'll begin reading in verse 1 a psalm of david a contemplation blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit when I kept silent my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long for day and night your hand was heavy upon me my vitality was turned into the drought of summer say law I acknowledged my sin to you and my iniquity I have not hidden I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and you forgave the iniquity of my sin say law for this is everyone who shall pray to you in a time when you may be found sorely in a flood of Great Waters they shall not come near him you are my hiding place you shall preserve me from trouble you shall surround me with songs of deliverance say law I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go I will guide you with my I do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding which must be harnessed with bit and bridle else they will not come near you many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he who trusts in the Lord mercy shall surround him be glad in the Lord and rejoice you righteous and shout for joy all you upright in heart amen well please turn in your Trinity hymnal to him number 132 hymn number 132 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well let us pray father in heaven it's a joy to gather on this Sabbath evening to remember our Lord's death in a particular way we thank you for the ordinances of baptism and for the Lord's Supper we thank you for your loving kindness to us not only saving us but sanctifying us through the means of grace that you've ordained for our good we give praise to You Father Son and Holy Spirit we give all glory to you for you are worthy you are the God who is sovereign the God who is majestic the God who is most high and glorious and you are the God who has called us out of darkness into marvelous light that you fellowship with us that you meet with us in the private place you meet with us as families you meet with us as the church and we would pray tonight that we would know the nearness of God as our good but as we consider scriptures we consider what the Bible tells us concerning God's dwelling with us people encourage our hearts to realize that this isn't empty ritual this isn't just a rote exercise but rather this means ordained by God for the good of his people we thank you Lord that in the book of Revelation Christ is found in the midst of the lampstands and may that be the case tonight for God we all come into this place weary we all come having had many many trials and challenges in this world of the spiritual sort and we do pray that our worship unto you would be with reverence with great joy that it would come by the power of the Holy Spirit and that you would be well pleased Lord God to strengthen us to fortify us to encourage our hearts and to build us up and our most holy faith and to cause us to to meet with you tonight we thank you for the communion of the saints we thank you for the brothers and the sisters of this local church we thank you that we can bear one another's burdens in prayer and that we can encourage one another and we would pray tonight Lord God that you would watch over those unable to be with us tonight we pray for those who are strong not only with spiritual concerns but with physical challenges and trials we know that you look after the the whole man not just the heart but the body as well and we praise you for that and we would ask it would give strength to the sufferers that you would give encouragement to the afflicted that you would give grace to each and every one of us that we might grow in our understanding of your Providence that we might grow in our understanding of the way that you take us through these various things and we pray now that you would forgive us for our sins and all unrighteousness David is certainly correct to say how blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity what a blessed reality this is that our sin was imputed unto the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness has been imputed to us the fact that you made him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in him is is the stuff of eternity it's the stuff that ought to promote our worship here and in the world to come and God help us to ponder that death at Calvary help us to reflect upon that sacrifice not just on the the Sunday we read where we observe the supper but each and every day God may we live in light of these redemptive truths and may these things truly encourage our hearts and may you help us by the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit to walk in communion with you to resist temptation and sin and to pursue the things that are pleasing in your sight we ask tonight Lord God that you'd bless the Brethren and Surrey be with Pastor Mike and help him as he as he ministers the Word of God give him grace to be committed to that work prayer and the preaching of the word be with the Brethren and Vernon as well we pray that you'd encourage their hearts that you would strengthen them and that in your time you would provide for them a laborer or a man that is committed to prayer and preaching we pray father for your blessing upon those in other parts of the world that suffer we know God these two men and Pakistan recently sentenced to death we ask that you'd watch over them that you would bless them that you would encourage them and father we do pray that they would ultimately be released and if not we pray that they would know the grace necessary to persevere in the midst of such affliction and trial even to the end we pray for that Reformed Baptist Church in Islamabad we ask that you would bless that work and use that work Lord God to call sinners unto yourself and we pray that throughout the Muslim world throughout the Roman Catholic world throughout the atheistic world we pray that gospel preaching would go forth that you would cause your face to shine upon the nation's we pray that you would let the nation's be glad and that many would come unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ and we ask now that you would continue with us receive our worship be glorified we pray and we pray these things through Christ our Lord amen well you can turn with me again in your Trinity hymnals to number 129 hymn number 129 we'll stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] we can turn in your Bibles to Matthew's Gospel Matthew chapter 20 Matthew chapter 20 this morning in acts 6 we saw that 7 men were chosen to serve the church Christ is a servant in this particular passage highlights that so I want to read Matthew chapter 20 beginning in verse 17 we'll read the verse 28 Matthew 20 beginning in verse 17 now Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them behold we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him to death and deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify and the third day He will rise again then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons kneeling down and asking something from him and he said to her what do you wish she said to him grant that these two sons of mine may set one on your right hand and the other on the left in your kingdom but jesus answered and said you do not know what you ask are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with they said to him we are able so he said to them you will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it is for those for whom it is prepared by my father and when the ten heard it they were greatly displeased with the two brothers but Jesus called them to himself and said you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and those who are great exercise authority over them yet it shall not be so among you but whoever desires to become great among you let him be your servant and whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave just as the son of man did not come to be served to serve and to give his life a ransom for many a men will let us pray father we thank you for the written word of the living and true God we thank you that its profitable to us and we pray that it would have profit tonight that you had set before us this blessed Christ who did it come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many certainly that's why we gathered together tonight it's not because we're good men and women but because we have a good and a gracious Savior the one who gave His life on our behalf how we thank you that Christianity is a redemptive religion how we thank you it's not a message of self-help or add a few morals to your life but rather it's the truth that God is in Christ reconciling the world unto himself bless this time we pray and may the spirit be at work in our hearts and we pray in Jesus Holy Name Amen well I want to look at primarily verses 24 to 28 but it's important to kind of get the flow of what's happening in the context if you'll notice that Jesus announces yet again this is the third time in Matthew's Gospel up to this point that he must go to Jerusalem he must be tried he must be condemned he must be delivered over to the Gentiles and they will scourge him and crucify him that's precisely what he says there in verses 17 to 20 and arm7 17 to 19 and then on the heels of this he gets this ambitious request from the sons of Zebedee on the heels of his having announced that he must go to Jerusalem and be treated in the manner he just described these two men come to him jockeying for position these two men come to him seeking a position of superiority at the right and at the left hand of the Father notice in verse 20 says then the mother of Zebedee's sons the parallel tells us at Zebedee's sons there's no contradiction the idea is is that James and John wanted to be side of Jesus so the mother comes Jesus says what do you wish and she said to him grant that these two sons of mine may sit one on you right hand and the other on the left in your kingdom again the timing here is absolutely incredible he has just said he's going to be crucified and they come along and say we want to sit on your right and on your left I think that's somewhat typical of us we have sort of a pride we have sort of a desire we have sort of a longing for position or at fort prestige in fact john calvin commenting on this section says this narrative contains a bright mirror of human vanity for it shows that proper and holy zeal is often accompanied by ambition or some other vice of the flesh so that they who follow christ have a different object in view from what they ought to have so everybody get that he's going to be crucified and they say we want to be on your right and left when you come in near Kingdom they they sort of just bypass every thought of cross whatsoever and they are only looking for the crown and again as I say I think that is common I think that is somewhat typical I think that is symptom act a symptomatic of God's people we want the crown but we don't want the cross we want the goodies but we don't want the hardship we want heaven but we don't want to persevere through earth we want the gifts but we don't necessarily want the one who gives the gift giving us afflictions and trials to conform us under the image of his son so they have this ambitious request now notice Jesus gives them this ominous response he gives them this statement concerning a baptism and a cop notice in verses 22 and 23 jesus answered and said you do not know what you ask are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with this is a reference to Christ's suffering this is a reference to Christ's death remember in the Garden of Gethsemane he prayed that the cup might pass from him that cup represents the wrath and fury and judgment of God Jesus knew what was laying behind laying on the other side of Gath cemani and that's why he sweat drops of blood and that's why he prayed thus with the father he was going to drink the cup of God's wrath in Luke 12 50 he uses this terminology of baptism the word baptism does not mean to sprinkle the word baptism means to immerse the word baptism means to stay understood but it is intriguing that they say in the affirmative we are able well the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane prays that if it might be possible let this cup pass from me these men are probably absolutely ignorant in terms of what he is talking about and that's why Jesus now clarifies and tells them something that will in fact be true in their future notice in verse 23 so he said to them you will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it is for those for whom it is prepared by my father so Jesus does say that these two men James and John the sons of Zebedee will undergo a baptism they will undergo this drinking of the cup again not literally but metaphorically it's a reference to their future wherein they would suffer for the kingdom wherein they would know what it is to be baptized with an overwhelming sort of a hardship and where they would drink the cup not of God's wrath but of some sort of human suffering in the god the book of accident was called it the gospel of Acts in Acts chapter 12 James this particular fellow is beheaded in Revelation chapter 1 we learned that John this particular John was on the island of Patmos he wasn't there because it was a great vacation spot it wasn't filled with golf courses it wasn't a place where persons wanted to go it was a little rock in the Aegean Sea and he was there for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ our Lord so they did undergo in their future suffering connected to their participation in the kingdom so that's the backdrop that's the setting that's what's happening Christ announces that he's going to Jerusalem he must be delivered to the Gentiles to be crucified and on the heels of that they said we want to sit on the right and on the left he tells them I'm gonna suffer you're not able to suffer the way I am but you are going to suffer in your own earthly course but in terms of sitting on my right and my left that's not mine to give it's the father's to get so that's now where we find ourselves in verse 24 to 28 this is his instruction concerning Kingdom greatness because that's what they're after isn't it we want to sit on the right we want to sit on the left we want to be great in the kingdom we have ambition we have desires Mama's little boys ought to be closest to Jesus we were to hear somebody's wife when she comes and presents this request to the Savior so Christ wants to teach them now about kingdom greatness so let's look at 24 to 28 under two considerations first the response by the 10 in verse 24 and then secondly the instruction given by Christ in verses 25 to 28 notice in verse 24 and when the ten heard it they were greatly displeased with the two brothers so the 10 the other apostles had heard that John and James were requesting these positions of prestige why do you think they were displeased were they displeased because they cared for their brother's souls and they didn't like to see that kind of ambition and that kind of pride evidenced among the confessors of Christ no they were displeased because they themselves wanted to be on the right and on the left of our Lord Jesus Christ in his kingdom they wanted that position to the fact that Jesus addresses all of them with this lesson on kingdom greatness indicates the nature of their anger the nature of their indignation they weren't indignant because their brothers had faltered they were indignant because if the brothers got what they wanted then they wouldn't be right next to Jesus on his right and on his left that's the point Artie Fran says the anger the remaining disciples is not to be attributed to a high-minded rejection of the brothers worldly ambition the fact that Jesus next words will be addressed to them all not just to James and John suggests that all of them still suffer as they do in eighteen one from the same concern for status brethren we ought to pray to God that our concern for status would die I'm not suggesting we want everybody to think we're the biggest monsters on the face of the earth there's nothing wrong with a godly ambition that's tempered with holiness and righteousness and the spirit but this desire to be over our fellows this desire to be a leg up over others that's ungodly and Jesus is going to highlight that Jesus says that's indicative of Gentile kingdoms it's not in dicta indicative of the kingdom of God CH Spurgeon makes a similar comment on the indignity of these ten he says that they were moved with indignation was approved that they were ambitious themselves or at least that they were not willing to take the lowest place now the new to contains admonitions to the people of God to guard against this particular sin the new testament wants us as the people of god yes to have an ambition in the sense that i want to persevere i want to be faithful i want to i want to make it to the end that's ambition that's godly ambition but this ambitious mass that wants to be above others is absolutely condemned by the new testament i just want to look at a few of the passages there's nothing precluding us from doing a bit of turning the pages here look over at romans chapter 12 romans chapter 12 Romans 12:16 be of the same mind toward one another do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble do not be wise in your own opinion no no how you read these passages but do you say wow I'm so glad Paul's writing for my fellows I'm so glad that Paul is writing for the elders in the church I'm so glad because I know people that really need a good dose of this the fact that this is such a repetitive theme in the New Testament seems to indicate to me that it's a nagging problem among the people of God we are not supposed to be that way we are not supposed to exalt ourselves we're not supposed to jockey for position I'd rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of wickedness that is godly ambition that is gloriously stated he doesn't say I want to sit on the right or on the left I want to be there I want to be a doorkeeper for the house of God notice in Philippians 2 Philippians 2 that that blessed him to Christ in Philippians chapter 2 it's in a section where it's what's called hortatory that means there's exhortation to the people of God on conduct and the sublimity of who Jesus Christ is is the very backdrop for this exhortation but notice in Philippians 2 at verse 1 therefore if there is any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any effect affection and 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 let each esteem others better than himself do you ever ask yourself am i living this way am i esteeming others as better than myself because essentially that's where Christ takes his argument the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many other words cry whole mission can be characterized with that motto uh uh employed by the the US Air Force pararescue that others may live Christ didn't come so that everybody would serve him Christ came rather so that he may serve by becoming a ransom sacrifice for wretches like you and me and then verse five or rather verse four a verse five rather is that him to Christ this is the backdrop this is what we are supposed by the grace of God to pursue turn over to first Peter chapter 5 first Peter chapter 5 again we need to see and appreciate this whole idea of a proud ambition this jockeying for position and its condemnation universally in the scriptures first Peter chapter five five likewise you you younger people submit yourselves to your elders yes all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility be clothed with humility I think I've told you before the backdrop here is probably in Peters mind remember that highest expression of humility in the life of the Savior well I don't know if it was the highest I mean the life of Jesus was one of service but remember when Jesus in the upper room takes off his outer garment and he and he and he puts a grabs a towel and he gets down at the feet of these particular men and he and he cleanses their feet he he clothed himself in such a way as to demonstrate his service unto them by actually washing their feet so I'm supposed that might be in Peters mind as he uses that metaphor be clothed with humility the way the Savior was be clothed with humility the way the Lord Jesus was be clothed with humility and don't insist on everybody's serving you but rather be like the master and serve others yes all of you be submissive to one another and 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 so back to our text in Matthew chapter 20 in verse 24 the indignation of the ten probably points to the similar ambitiousness that was resided in their own arts now let's look at the instruction given by Christ in verses 25 to 28 he first gives a negative example and then he gives positive exhortation and then he sets before them the very model of kingdom greatness first note the negative the negative example verse 25 jesus called them to himself and said you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and those who are great exercise authority over them now Christ is not condemning leadership Christ is not condemning Authority Christ is not sanctioning anarchy Christ is simply highlighting a fundamental difference in the way that the Gentiles exercise authority versus those in the kingdom of Christ it isn't supposed to be this top-down imposition it isn't supposed to be about crowd ambition it isn't supposed to be try to get everybody under you so that they may serve you the Gentile model is sort of like a pyramid the model has the man at the top and everybody else is down below serving that man at the top that is contrary to Kingdom greatness that is not consistent with our Lord that is not what he calls us until it's not an oligarchy it's not a totalitarian system it is rather a service of God by serving one another and that's what our Lord highlights so he condemns that model employed by the Gentiles you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and those who are great exercise authority over that Paul uses a similar convention in 2nd Corinthians he tells the Corinthians we are not those who Lord things over you but rather we are workers with you for your joy the Apostles didn't occupy that position where they were at the top and all of the persons below served them that wasn't it at all Paul saw himself as a fellow worker whew for your joy that's the model that is employed in the kingdom of Jesus Christ Spurgeon again says they were confounding his kingdom with the ordinary government of men and therefore they dreamed of being great you see that's what they were operating according to they had seen the Gentile model they had known that Gentile model and so in their heads hey let's go up and ask if we can sit on his right and sit on his left well Christ teaching here is destroying that model in terms of the kingdom in terms of what he calls us to in our service to one another now notice secondly the conduct among the disciples in verses 26 to 27 the first place they need to reject that Gentile model in essence Jesus is saying everything you've learned about leadership up to this point you need to throw it out you need to get rid of it you need to understand the model in the kingdom is completely inverted the model in the kingdom is to take that pyramid I'm borrowing from Pastor Albert and Martin and to turn it over so that the one on the bottom is serving everybody on the top that's kingdom greatness according to our Lord Jesus Christ the model of kingdom greatness is our Lord Jesus Christ who didn't come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many so he tells them reject it everything you know about leadership up to this point cast it off again he's not calling for the overthrow of the Roman Empire he is not suggesting that we march on you know a march on Pilate and we we condemned them and all that sort of thing he is saying that with reference to the kingdom of Jesus Christ the government of that Kingdom is different it is structured different it functions different it is not the same that is utilized in these Gentile kingdoms notice as well he speaks to their desire for kingdom greatness so in essence he's not saying it's wrong that you want to be great he doesn't say you terrible monsters how you want to be great you horrible specimens of human beings how dare you want to be he doesn't say that he wants to channel them he wants to redirect them he wants to show them if you actually want greatness in the kingdom it's not the way the Gentiles get at it and it's certainly not by jockeying for position is not driven by ambitious pride but rather greatness in the kingdom is described here by our Lord verse 26 yet it shall not be so among you but whoever desires to become great among you let him be your servant so you get that right it's not wrong that you want to be great it's not wrong that you want to be first it's wrong how you pursue it it's wrong how you're trying to get at it it's wrong how you're going about it you're more like the Gentile Kings rather than disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ if you want to be great in the kingdom now everybody's backing off well you know I guess I don't really want to be great I can be average I can be normal you see when you hear the demand as to what kingdom greatness looks like it probably does pierce that balloon of ambition a little bit I'm content with being normal because if greatness and the kingdom means I've got to serve everybody then you can keep greatness in the kingdom don't do that you should still want to be great in the kingdom you should still want to obey Jesus with reference to the ethics of the kingdom you should still want to pursue greatness in the kingdom not jockeying for position not driven by ambitious pride but by serving the people of God serving your families serving your spouse's serving your children you see true leadership that is Christian is not the kind of tyranny that is exemplified by the Gentiles the kind of leadership that the Word of God calls us to is servant leadership it's the kind of leadership exercised by our Lord Jesus a true leader in the home men aren't the kinds of guys that sit in their easy chair and tell their wives to keep bringing them stuff that's not servant leadership within the context of the church it ain't to be the case where there's the pyramid and everybody serves those at the top no it's to be serviced it's what I love about the the very word itself and it's intriguing how we have sort of exchanged the true meaning of the word Minister Minister is a is a title of prestige not only in the church but in civil service as well Minister means serve minister means Jew minister means to put others before yourself you see that's the kingdom greatness envisaged by our Lord Jesus Christ he doesn't say it's bad that you want to be great he says it's bad that you want to be great the way that Gentile kings do it it's good that you want to be great and here's the path to greatness serve people serve your wives serve your children serve your parents serve your friends serve your fellows in the church serve people don't be the kind of person that only wants to be served but rather serve and if necessary give your life for them notice as well the desire for Kingdom priority verse 27 whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave he doesn't say it's bad to want to be first maybe a few moments ago you were thinking yeah I want to be first in the kingdom well here's here's your chance here's your opportunity here's the means here's the path here's the instruction whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave this couldn't ax us to the context as a whole notice in 1930 many who are first will be last in the last first notice in 2016 so the last will be first and the first last these things have been stated by our Lord and now in this particular context responding to this ambition on the part of the disciples Jesus is high the way to Kingdom priority whoever desires to be first among you let him be your slave go back to Matthew 16 Matthew 16 a lesson on discipleship we probably need to refresh ourselves with over and over again Matthew 16:24 jesus said to his disciples if anyone desires to come after him let him deny himself let and take up his cross and follow me whoever desires to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it you see there's this sort of inversion with reference to the kingdom of Christ the kingdoms of man those who want to be first take these steps and the kingdoms of man those who want to be counted or those who try to save their life they ultimately it will lose them Jesus inverts that whoever desires to save his life will lose it but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it in other words it's not your self fulfillment it's not your ambitious climb it's not your achievement of breast feed but rather it's losing all of that for the Lord Jesus Christ that's what Christ says with reference to discipleship going back to Matthew chapter 20 Spurgeon makes this observation to be or rather to rise in Christ's Kingdom we must descend to rise in Christ's Kingdom we must descend and now that brings us finally to consider this model of kingdom greatness so he has said you know the Gentiles operate don't be like that you want to be great in the kingdom serve you want to be first in the kingdom serve and then he gives as the model himself verse 28 just asks for words this is sort of the standard for your service to others just as the son of man you know that bit in Ephesians 5 where husbands are told to love their wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her that's a big marching order isn't it that's a huge step we've got some large shoes to try and fill when we try and be the kinds of husbands that God calls us to be love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her well if you want to be great in the kingdom you want to be first in the kingdom and you are resolved to serve with reference to the kingdom you can't serve on your terms you can't serve only insofar as you're willing to put yourself out it's the kind of service described in verse 28 that's what the just as means just as means I want you to do what I'm telling you to do just as the way I do it now again brethren we we don't do that we are always standing in need of what this bread and wine represents these calls to holiness these calls to to pursue kingdom greatness these calls to the service of others ought to constantly throw us back on the lap of sovereign grace and mercy again we don't say well I just can't ever do it so I'm not even a try no Jesus wants us by the spirit to try to pursue these things but when we do fail we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous now notice statement just as the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many I would suggest the background here is isaiah 53 we don't have a lot of time to sort of develop this but in isaiah well not just isaiah 53 but in isaiah 42 49 50 and 53 we have those servant songs of the lord so when Jesus is describing service he calls his disciples to serve one another and then he uses himself as the model or the standard of service and when he thinks service he thinks servant song and several times in Matthew's Gospel we find those songs applied to our Lord Jesus Christ and I would argue here that Jesus knew perfectly what his marching orders were according to Isaiah 42 49 50 and 53 in other words there is a messianic consciousness with reference to our Savior and when he tells them that he is the servant he is only explaining what the prophecy had foretold concerning him so I think that is the background with reference to the emphasis on service now notice he says just as the son of man did not come to be served that's really not like us is it do we go places and say well I'm here to serve I'm here to do typically we like to get ours don't wait the little quid pro quo a little you know you scratch my back and I'll scratch your back that's not what happened in the life of the Son of Man and if anyone ever deserved to be served it was Christ you want to get a bit of a view of what happened with reference to the to the pre-incarnate christ I would direct you to Isaiah's prophecy I say a chapter 6 in the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord exalt it and I heard the angel say holy holy holy is the the Lord of hosts the whole earth is filled with his glory John 12 tells us that Isaiah beheld his Christ's glory so that's what Jesus had prior to coming in the Incarnation Jesus had angels attending him Jesus had the intra Trinitarian communion with father and son Jesus had everything at his disposal was served by those angelic beings and yet when he comes into this world it's not to be served this is what John Wan mentions or refers to when it says he came to his own and his own received him not this is what the Prophet refers to in Isaiah 53 he had no former homeliness that that we should that we should be drawn to him his Vistage was marred he was he was he was not a handsome fellow especially connected to the passion he was brutalized he he looked like a common criminal there's nothing in him that would endear us to him there was nothing in him that would draw us to him he didn't come to be served to see here's the point he deserved to be served we don't were miserable sinful vile guilty we have offended God at every point we have transgressed his law we have lacked conformity unto it we have sinned by omission we have sinned by commission we deserve nothing and yet we live like we're entitled to everything we live like everybody owes us everybody should serve us everybody should fawn all over us give me give me give me were the leech of the Proverbs give give that's our fundamental default position not so with Christ the Son of man did not come to be served though he was deserving though we should have though everybody should about and confessed his glory and his majesty he himself said if these don't cry out the very rocks will cry out because he's God of God light from light true God from True God this is the glory of the Savior and yet when he comes into this world is not to be served brethren we need to check our hearts with the entitlement attitude that I think lodged itself in our hearts at our conception we really think everybody owes us we really think everybody should serve us we really think that we should never have any hardship because others should make sure that I don't well the son of man did not come to be served but notice he doesn't stop there but rather he comes to serve he did not come to be served but to serve we'll get on with it in just a moment but you see why it's such a an affront when we don't want to serve others when when we're selfish or when we're proud or when we have a nan Batian or proud ambition and and we just can't see getting our hands dirty or or doing this doubt of the other it is so contrary to Christ he didn't come to be served but to serve in other words if you ask Jesus you happen to meet him at the bus stop and you said why are you here he said well I've come to serve but who actually says that you ever meet people that yeah just I love to serve that's my spiritual gift it's service I just want to serve serve serve serve serve seems to me people's spiritual gifts are preaching teaching reading that sort of stuff not a lot of people get the spiritual gift of serve not a lot of people get that gift where yeah my life's cause I just want to serve so want to put everybody else first I want to make sure that that everybody else has theirs and I don't have mine that's just not typically the gift I think I mentioned on a Wednesday night or a Saturday morning it's probably Saturday morning theology class and some churches the broader have angelical churches they have these little workshops and you know how to find your spiritual gift you know this is 1st Corinthians 12 Romans 12 and Ephesians 4 right yeah 2 12 12 4 it was reminded by Isaac that's the way we do it but you have these all seminars and you try to discern your spiritual gift they're not coming out of there saying my gift is to plunge toilets my gift is to you know pick up and sweep the the grounds there's some nasty stuff that ends up on these grounds just ask our our deacons and and me as I said Tuesday morning I come around that corner and I cringe I winced what do I get to pick up this time you see that's not typically where we gravitate we think we should teach well we think we should be missionaries we think we should you know do this we should do the equivalent of splitting the atom but but in the kingdom of course that's our default mode and yet Christ says he didn't come to be served but to serve and the greatest example the greatest model and it's not just exemplary we want to make sure that we see that but in terms of our contact the greatest example is and to give his life a ransom for many that active service characterized the entirety of his life and comes to full expression at Calvary when you eat this bread and you drank this cop remember the Lord's service we often refer to our services at the church you know what this ultimately is God's service more to us God's the householder here and he has called us tonight to feast now I know it's not a feast when it's a little bit of a little bit of a piece we ought to have big loaves and pass them around and actually feast with reference to Kingdom King to belonging in the kingdom but that's the point it's not our service to God the householder continues to serve us that is so characteristic and descriptive of who our God is with reference to us miserable lot so the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many we have already seen his announcement on three occasions up to this point that he's going to die we also know that the purpose of his death are note rather the purpose of his death why is he giving that life not because he's a criminal not because he's an insurrectionist not because he's a revolutionary or a-- or or a terrorist he is giving his life as a ransom for many now the word ransom here's a great word it's one of those theologically loaded words like propitiation or or reconciliation there's there's this gospel glossary of terms that every believer really ought to get in their minds and in their heart the idea of ransom it implies a payment of a price or it's when Jesus offers himself up on the cross when Jesus goes to the cross when Jesus dies he is paying a debt he is paying a price redemption isn't simply a ransom isn't simply just a powerful maneuver by God to free us from sin but rather it is with reference to the payment of a debt Christ's sacrifice is theologically explained here and I would suggest the disciples would have hopefully clued in he said he's going to be crucified just back there in 2017 to 19 if the question would arise well why would he be crucified why would he go to this death he's giving the theology behind it to give his life a ransom not for everybody but for many there is this group called the many in the New Testament they are the people of God they are the elect of God they are those for whom Jesus gave his life as a ransom because you can rest a short that if Jesus shed his blood for any they will be saved he doesn't shed his blood in vain rather he sheds his blood to secure the salvation of his people those whom the father had given with reference to the particular word used here Leon Morris in his book the apostolic preaching of the Cross says it is important to realize that it is this idea of payment as the basis of release which is the reason for the existence of the whole word group and this word or this this word group rather is used in many places here in Matthew we see it in Romans 3 first Corinthians 6 Galatians 3 Ephesians 1 Colossians 1 1st Timothy 2 Hebrews 9 1st Peter 1 revelation 5 again it's one of those glorious gospel terms that highlights one of the significance is about the death of Jesus the one final thing I'd like to suggest is that this is the last statement Jesus makes before he goes into Jerusalem and I think that's very significant I think that is very key I think that this verse functions much like Matthew 1:21 to provide the rationale for chapters 21 to 27 in other words why does Jesus do what he does when he gets to Jerusalem why does Jesus suffer this shame why does Jesus get cast off by the multitude why does Jesus go through so many why does Jesus carry his own cross why is Jesus exalted not upon an earthly throne or a heavenly throne but he's exalted upon across why does he do that I think you need to interpret Matthew 21 to 27 the passion narrative primarily in light of Jesus statement here there's no accident the Holy Spirit has us read Christ's purpose for him going in to Jerusalem and it is not to serve but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many well brethren I hope that we will see in this particular passage the wretched problem and the persistent problem of pride it obtained among the sons of zebedee Lord we want something from you we don't want to you know serve we don't want to have this cross we want the crown we want to be on the right and on the left when you come into your kingdom there is that in us in fact royal makes the observation from pride the saints of God received their greatest injuries after their conversion do you hear that it's not he's not talking about unconverted people you may be uncomfortable you saying pastor but you don't know me I'm not really proud good the rest of us probably need to hear this you can tune out from pride the saints of God received their greatest injuries after their conversion well says hooker Richard Hooker pride as a vice which cleaveth so fast unto the hearts of men that if we were to strip ourselves of all faults one by one we should undoubtedly find it the very last and hardest to put off now if that resonates in your soul then I would suggest to you continue to be in this passage continue to go to Philippians to continue to go to first Peter chapter 5 continue to keep it in check again greatness the desire for greatness isn't wrong brethren Jesus does not say don't want to be great but the path to greatness in the kingdom is service serving others caring for others putting others first esteeming others as better than yourself Paul says in Philippians chapter 2 you know let's just go back to first Peter for a moment because I I think we should we should look at this again there's probably a lot of reasons for verse 7 in 1st Peter chapter 5 but but one I don't think it jumps out at us as you know that obvious is something I want to share here going back to 1st Peter 5:5 likewise you younger people submit yourselves to your elders yes all of you be submissive to one another and be clothed with humility for God resists the proud but he 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 know again and what I'm about to suggest here I don't think it's the most evident of applications but I think it is its legette humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time he is telling us to put others first he is telling us to be submissive to others he is telling us to be clothed with humility he's telling us to get on our knees and wash the feet of our fellows he is telling us that everybody agrees so what's the rationale with reference to verse 7 casting all your care upon him for he cares for you that's a general truth I mean that's a maxim that's a principle that's right out of the book of The Book of Psalms you cast your care upon God why because God cares for you the idea really is roll your burden onto him because he is sufficient to carry it but I think the connection might be if you really want to adopt kingdom greatness you really want to serve you really want to do what Peter says you want to clothe yourself with humility you want others before yourself it might rise up in your heart because we are who we are then who's going to look out for me or is if I am busy at the bottom of this pyramid serving all of my fellows then then one of me verse seven casting all your care upon him for he cares for you in other words you may be serving all of those people but it's not the case that God is abandoning you it's not the case that your needs are not going to be met it's not the case that you're gonna die and suffer and be you know trounced ER or trashed no cast your care upon him why because he cares for you in other words Peter says clothed yourself with humility put others before yourself and don't fret or worry that you're going to go unattended God is going to attend you God is going to care for you God is gonna watch over you so you see kingdom greatness is something the people of God should be pursuing and it comes through service and then finally we ought to appreciate the function of verse 28 in the specific context the redemptive work of Jesus Christ secures the salvation of his people that's what we need to take away from verse 28 in the first place yes it functions as the model for Kingdom greatness yes it is the impetus for the people of God to follow a life of service toward the people of God all that is true but we must not neglect the primary emphasis of verse 28 to highlight the redemptive nature of Christianity he came to give his life as a ransom for many we need a ransom we need to be paid a bought back we need to be delivered from the slave market of sin and it's Christ's death that has secured that and then read that and understand that and let that cast its shadow over chapters 21 to 27 so that when you see Jesus on the cross when you see him suffering when you see a mock when you hear those priests say he saved others why doesn't he save himself you know what he's doing he is doing what he is doing so that he can ransom his people well let us close in a word of Prayer our Father we thank you for Matthew 20:28 we thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ that does what he says in this passage and we know it to be the case and tonight God as we eat this bread as we drink this cup help us to do so in light of Matthew 20:28 that our Savior didn't come to be served but he came to serve and to give his life a ransom for many and we bless you and we thank you and we praise you that you've included us in that many and we pray that all over the earth more would be called more would come more would taste and see that the Lord is good and we ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen first corinthians chapter aloud a couple of reminders with reference to the Lord's Supper remember that it is an ordinance given to Christians it's not for unbelievers it's not for those who have not made a confession of faith in our Lord Jesus it's not a converting ordinance some in the history of the church have treated it this way I think this is ultimately why Jonathan Edwards was one of the reasons why he left his pastor it is because his father-in-law had taught that the Supper was a converting ordinance and Edwards insisted no it's for believers it's for Christians it's not for unbelievers and that caused a bit of a rift with reference to Edwards in his past right there and in in the 1700s but in terms of the ordinance it's for the people of God and the people of God are not perfect on this side of eternity the people of God have sinned but the people of God by the grace of God deal with that sin they seat by His grace to maintain short accounts with God and with men that's what we're admonished to do in 1st Corinthians chapter 11 I'm going to read the sections without comment because I'm going to give the comment right now Paul's call to us to examine ourselves is not a call to discern whether or not their sin there's always going to be sin there's always going to be sin on this side of heaven Wesley was wrong perfectionism is wrong on this side of heaven there will always be remaining corruption in the lives of God's people however the people of God deal with that remaining corruption they confess their sins to one another they confess their sins to God they plead the advocacy of our Lord Jesus Christ they live in light of that blessed statement first into the chapter 2 I'm sorry first John chapter 2 that if we do sin we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous they confess it they forsake it they find mercy they don't do this you know that they do this on a regular basis and in fact tonight if you have sinned and you haven't dealt with it you don't need you know five weeks to prepare before you come and participate in the supper we have an advocate with a father whether we're at home whether we're in this whether we're in our car we have an advocate with the father even Jesus Christ the righteous we confess our sins we plead as merit we plead as mercy and we find forgiveness so the examination in 1st Corinthians 11 is not to discern whether or not their sin it's whether or not we're dealing with the sin in a way that God calls us to and then also when it comes to the bread and wine they remain bread and wine they are not changed there is no transubstantiation that's the heresy of the Roman Catholic Church Church I use very very loosely there but it's the heresy of Rome that teaches that the actual elements actually become the body and blood of Jesus and that this is an unbloody sacrifice of atonement nothing could be further from the truth the bread remains bread the wine remains wine they are symbols they remind us they are tangible we are creature they are creature and their design is to point us to that spiritual truth the Lutheran's teets teach consubstantiation which is also wrong we believe in the real presence but Christ by his Spirit present among his people at the supper so we need to make sure we get that there's no magic there's no transformation there they're prayed for and set aside from a common to a sacred use all of that is true that they don't become something other and this is certainly not an act of sacrifice on our behalf and then in terms of practicality if you are inclined to take juice versus wine the juice is in the outer reign with reference to the elements so I'll read 1st Corinthians 11 beginning in verse 17 now in giving these instructions I do not praise you since you come together not for the better but for the worse for first of all when you come together as a church I I hear that there are divisions among you and in part I believe it for there must also be factions among you that those who are approved may be recognized among you therefore when you come together in one place it is not to eat the Lord supper for anyhting each one takes his own supper ahead of others and one is hungry and another is drunk what do you not have houses to eat and drink in or do you despise the Church of God and shame those who have nothing what shall I say to you shall I praise you in this I do not praise you we'll skip that center section and come back to it after the brothers pass out the bread but in verse 27 he says therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord but let a man examine himself and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup for he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself not discerning the Lord's body for this reason many are weak and sick among you and many sleep for if we would judge ourselves who would not be judged but when we are judged we are chastened by the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world therefore my brethren when you come together to eat wait for one another but if anyone is hungry let him eat at home lest you come together for judgment and the rest I will set in order when I come amen well if the brothers would come to pass out the bread you can turn in your Trinity hymnal - number 696 9-0 please remain seated as we sing this hymn of praise unto God [Music] Oh verse 23 we read for I receive from the Lord that which I also delivered to you that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and said take eat this is my body which is broken for you do this in remembrance of me well let us pray God in heaven thank you for this this blessed reminder this blessed ordinance the sacrament that you've given for the good of the people of God we asked that as we eat as we drank we remember our Lord's death we remember the particulars the theology behind it it was as a ransom for his people how we thank you for that how he purchased us out of the slave market of sin how he purchased us unto himself and God in heaven may these things truly encourage our hearts for God we do get weary by our own remaining corruption we get weighed down at times but help us to live in light of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and it's in his name that we pray amen we'll take together you can remain seated and turned to Psalm 130 in your Trinity Psalter psalm 130 again just a reminder the juices in the outer ring will sing psalm 130 and please remain seated [Music] in verse 25 Paul writes in the same manner he also took the cup after supper saying this cup is the New Covenant in my blood this do as often as you drink it in remembrance of me for as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes amen well let us pray blessed father we thank you for the promise of Jeremiah 31 that there would be a new covenant for the Blessed inauguration of that the realization of it in Matthew 26 and the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ how we praise you that He shed his blood for the remission of sins for many and how we praise you that we've enjoyed that great benefit the fact of having our sins forgiven is most glorious and most wondrous and our father helped us continually to proclaim as death in this ordinance as we have breath in our lungs as we are members together in this local church may we see this as a as an opportunity to corporately preach Jesus Christ and him crucified we thank you for this we bless you for the blood of Jesus Christ your son that cleanses us from all unrighteousness and we pray in his most blessed name amen we'll take together we can turn to 175 that great compendium of gospel truth in song number 175 will stand as we sing in praise together to God [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Oh [Music] through working in you was well pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever and ever amen with us now Lord Almighty grant us grace pursue two things we need your side and grant us the grace to remember that advocate with God even Jesus Christ devices when we fall short they live by the truth the truth of the Cross we see it is that most blessed means of action nor people [Music] you you