24-0421a Transcript

Preacher: Mike Mathis

(1:39) Good morning, everybody. We have visitors.

There’s a young man from Southern Ohio visiting us. (1:52) We pray that the worship service tonight or this morning will be edifying to them, (2:03) and that they will, when they’re in this area again, come and meet with us. (2:12) The lesson this morning is from a vacation Bible school that the church in Medina at (2:25) Forest Mass Drive had one year.

And the theme for that vacation Bible school was (2:38) Servants of God. I had the privilege of teaching two lessons. One was on Abraham, (2:49) and one is on the lesson that I am about to present this morning.

And it’s entitled Jesus, (3:02) God’s Greatest Servant. And I want to begin this in Philippians chapter 2. (3:17) And I want to read verses 1 through 8. Philippians 2, verses 1 through 8. (3:29) The Apostle Paul is writing to the Philippian church. He is giving them instructions, and he (3:41) is saying here, Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, (3:53) if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, (4:03) having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition (4:15) or conceit, but in lowliness of mind. Let each esteem others better than himself. (4:26) Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

(4:36) Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not (4:48) consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a (4:59) bond-servant, and coming in the likeness of men, being found in appearance as a man, (5:10) he honoured himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. (5:23) Now, in this reading, in verse 5, it says, Let this mind be in you. That’s part of that verse, (5:36) but I’ll continue with it in a little bit.

We ought to think of others. In verse 4, (5:48) it says, Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but for the interests of others. (6:00) Thinking only of one’s own interests comes natural, and it can lead to selfishness.

(6:13) In verse 3, it is said, Let each esteem others better than himself. (6:29) You know, it’s all right for us to look out for our own interests. There are things that (6:38) we must take care of personally, each one.

Nobody else can do those things for us. (6:49) It’s up to us to take care of these. You know, the problem comes, though, when we look inward.

(6:59) The only thing that we’re interested in is ourselves. Have the attitude, let others be hanged. (7:13) I’m number one, and I’m going to take care of my own needs.

That attitude sometimes prevails. (7:25) And sad to say, some Christians have that attitude, but we should get away from it. (7:35) But he admonishes us Philippians, Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus.

(7:50) Jesus looked out for others' interests. You know, here Jesus always has existed as a second member (8:06) of the Godhead. He’s always been there.

We learn that Jesus is the Word. (8:17) He is the one who is a creator. He’s eternal.

And here he is in heaven, everything (8:33) that he has. But he thought of us and come down to this earth. He, (8:48) in verse seven of this chapter, says, but made himself of no reputation, (8:58) taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men.

He came in the flesh. (9:08) This was something that in the first century was really proclaimed. For there were those who (9:21) had a hard time believing that God could be in the flesh, could dwell in the flesh.

(9:35) But believers ought to be reminded that he came in the flesh and he took on the likeness of men. (9:50) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, (10:02) even the death of the cross. Notice that in our reading, which I want to thank Kevin and Roger (10:17) for their readings, we learn that Jesus, when he came, throughout his telling the people, (10:32) I am not doing things on my own.

I am doing what my father sent me to do. (10:44) In the 30th verse of John 10 or John 5, I cannot myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge.

(11:00) My judgment is righteous because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the father who sent me. (11:15) And even in verse, or John 6, verse 38, he says, for I have come down from heaven (11:28) not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. So Jesus was obedient to his father.

(11:42) And we learn that he took on the form of a servant in verse 7. Jesus came to serve. (11:58) And in the reading in Mark, I want to turn to Mark 10, and we want to begin with verse, (12:16) but we’re going to tell that these disciples, they always wanted to discuss (12:28) just who was going to be the greatest in the kingdom of God, in his kingdom. (12:39) Now Jesus, and here they are in Mark 10, and James and John, (12:54) in verse 35, the sons of Zebedee came to him saying, Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.

(13:10) And he said to them, what do you want me to do for you? They said to him, (13:18) grant us that we may sit one on your right hand, the other on your left, in your glory. (13:30) You see, they were thinking Jesus is going to set up an earthly kingdom. (13:40) He’s going to sit literally on the throne, just like some people today (13:47) believe that when Jesus returns, he is going to sit on the throne in Jerusalem in the future.

(14:00) Jesus is already sitting on his throne. (14:04) As he said in Revelation 3, in the last verse of chapter 3 in Revelation, he said, (14:14) I am sat down on my father’s throne. (14:23) But Jesus told them, you do not know what you ask.

(14:32) Are you able to drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? (14:41) This baptism he’s talking about is the suffering that he’s going to go through and then ultimately die. (14:54) And they said to him, we are able. (14:58) Jesus said to them, you will indeed drink the cup that I drink.

(15:05) And with the baptism I am baptized with, you will be baptized. (15:12) But to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give. (15:21) But it is for those for whom it is prepared.

(15:27) See, they thinking, you know, of a little earthly kingdom (15:37) with Jesus sitting on the throne here on earth, (15:44) that they could, their discussion many times was which one of them was going to be the greatest. (15:56) Who’s going to be the greatest? (15:59) It’d be good, you know, for these two that they were really wanting (16:04) on his right hand and on his left hand to be right up there with him. (16:15) But we find that when the ten heard, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John.

(16:24) But Jesus called them to himself and said to them, (16:30) you know that those who are considered rulers, (16:38) lord it over them and our great ones exercise authority over them. (16:49) Now, we do have those that when they get power, they get a little bit of power. (16:57) They think that their power reaches all over the earth (17:04) or even further than what their power reaches.

(17:10) And they, all they want to do is by the Lord, do this, do that, hurry up, let’s go, let’s do it. (17:24) But Jesus says, yet it shall not be so among you. (17:32) But whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.

(17:42) You’re going to be great, he says, you’ll be servant. (17:47) And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. (17:54) People don’t like that word slave.

(18:00) I’ve often heard, even when I was on the job before my retirement, I’m nobody’s slave. (18:13) Why are they at work? Why do they show up at work? (18:18) Do they not know that when they show up that they’re going to be told to do this or do that? (18:32) People do not like that word slave. (18:37) But you know, Jesus said, for even the Son of Man, (18:46) referring to himself, did not come to be served, but to serve.

(19:00) Yes, Jesus came to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. (19:13) We need to stop and think that he served God even when he went to the cross, (19:26) when he was surrounded by the army there in the garden, when Judas Iscariot came with them, (19:37) with all that number of army, he told them, (19:47) do not think that I could call 12 legions of angels and they would respond. (20:00) Things would be a lot different.

It wouldn’t be pretty. However, he said, (20:12) but then how shall the scriptures be fulfilled in the Old Testament? We’ve got scriptures (20:27) that testify that Christ is going to die. He’s going to suffer.

He’s going to be put to death. (20:40) He even told his disciples that he would be put to death. They could not understand this.

(20:49) You are the Son of God and you are the king we consider you to be. (20:56) And yet you say you’re going to be put to death. (21:02) Peter on one occasion said, let it not be, Lord.

He said, he told them that he was ready to (21:14) fight for it. But Jesus told them, this is, scripture needs to be fulfilled. (21:29) And he went to his death.

He obeyed God. He served by going to the cross. He served (21:47) by letting these people put him to death.

They wanted him to die. (21:56) Well, in our minds, Jesus was blaspheming for he was telling them that he was God. I am.

(22:13) Jim Lokenbauer stands before us occasionally telling us about Jesus saying, I am just as (22:25) Moses was told in the burning bush. Moses was told, I am that I am. When Moses asked God, (22:39) if the people ask me, who sent you to us? You tell them that I am has sent you.

(22:52) And then he said, I am that I am. And Jesus repeated that I am. (23:05) And they took that I am to mean he’s equal with God. He’s saying, I am God. I’m equal with God. (23:17) He’s blaspheming, they say.

(23:21) That meant death. Anyone who blasphemes and makes themselves God (23:31) was guilty of blaspheming and should be put to death. And so in their minds, Jesus was blaspheming.

(23:41) And so he was put to death. We find that Jesus (23:53) served as he went about doing good. Peter in Acts 10, 38 tells Cornelius and his household and those (24:08) that were there about Jesus going about.

And as he went about, he did good. You know, Jesus cared (24:24) that people hurt, was hungry, grieved, was homeless, and died. And we can see that Jesus, (24:42) as he went about and seeing these occasions, Jesus (24:54) had compassion on the people that suffered because of hunger and grief and homelessness (25:04) because they experienced death of their loved ones.

But let’s look at what we’ve already said. (25:23) Jesus came to serve. Jesus left heaven and all that heaven could offer.

Became a servant. (25:37) He humbled himself and he became obedient and we should follow his example. (25:50) We should, as he served, we should be served or we should serve.

We should look to those that do need help. (26:10) See, self isn’t the only one that has things that (26:18) needs to be, he needs help with. Others do too.

And Jesus helped others. He came to serve and he served (26:33) in a way that nobody else did. He went to the cross dying for us.

We should then (26:48) be grateful for that. We should be grateful because Jesus, he has the right to command (27:03) us and we should obey him. He gave the great commission to his disciples after he arose (27:17) from the grave to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father (27:29) and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

He said, and love I am with you always until the end (27:39) of the age. We need to obey his command. In Mark 16, 15 and 16, he ordered his disciples to go into (27:59) all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

He that believes and is baptized (28:08) shall be saved. This is what those who have not obeyed God, who need to obey the gospel (28:22) to become children of God. They need to believe that Jesus came, died for them and arose from (28:33) the dead in order to give us hope, salvation and hope.

Will we not follow his example? (28:46) Will we not obey him? He was willing to obey God, his Father, do things that we would ordinarily (28:57) think, well he doesn’t need to do those things, but he did. He did these things willingly. (29:06) We ought to willingly obey him, believe in him, believing that he came and gave his life for us (29:19) that we may have eternal life beyond this life.

So if anyone wants to be a child of God, (29:33) wants to be an example as Jesus is of those who believe, will you not at this time (29:45) come forward? If you have not done so, will you not believe that Jesus came and will you not (29:54) be willing to confess before men that your faith in him? Will you not be buried with him in baptism (30:03) for the remission of sins? Will you not, if you have done so, obey the gospel and been led (30:16) astray? Will you not come back? Let the church pray for you and be restored to God. Will you (30:25) not do so now? Or if there is any need that you need to make known, come forward while we stand (30:35) and while we sing.