MOVE Series# 8, Be Careful What You Wish For

MOVE Series# 8, Be Careful What You Wish For
By: Bobby Sullivan

Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you’re climbing it. ― Andy Rooney 

Mark 10:3-45
³³ “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; ³⁴ and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

Greatness Is Serving

³⁵ Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”³⁶ And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³⁷ They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” ³⁸ But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” ³⁹ They said to Him, “We are able. ”So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; ⁴⁰ 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.”

⁴¹ And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. ⁴² But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³ Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. ⁴⁴ And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” 

TITLE: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR

Intro: I once heard the story of a rice farmer who saved an entire village from destruction. From his hilltop farm he felt the earthquake and saw the distant ocean swiftly withdraw from the shoreline. He knew that a tidal wave was coming. In the valley below, he saw his neighbors working low fields that would soon be flooded. They must run quickly to his hilltop or they would all die. His rice barns were dry as tinder. So with a torch he set fire to his barns and soon the fire gong started ringing. His neighbors saw the smoke and rushed to help him. Then from their safe perch they saw the tidal wave wash over the fields they had just left. In a flash they knew not only who had saved them but what their salvation had cost their benefactor. They later erected a monument to his memory bearing the motto, “He gave us all he had, and gave gladly.”

He willingly sacrificed himself that others might succeed. Most people do everything they can to better themselves,  and think nothing of the people they step on behind as they climb to the top of the heap.

Not everyone who finishes first is victorious. Sometimes those who take the last seat, those who willingly finish last, are the real winners in the game of life.

The disciples were anything but humble men. They were always in the business of trying to promote themselves.

In this passage, we see selfish ambition in all of its ugliness. James and John come to Jesus asking for the top seats in His kingdom. Jesus uses this event to teach us all some valuable lessons about leadership, service to others and forgiveness.

        I want to talk about BE Careful what you wish for. I want you to see the thoughts that come out of this passage. I want you to see A Selfish Petition; A Somber Proclamation and A Spiritual Pattern.

        As we consider these thoughts, I hope you will see that being first can cost you all you have.

1.   v. 35-40   A SELFISH PETITION
2. v. 35-37   The Request – James and John approach Jesus asking that they be allowed to sit with Him in the highest positions of His coming kingdom. The right hand seat was reserved for the person who was second in rank, while the left hand seat was reserved for the person who was third in rank. These men saw themselves as the leaders among the disciples and they wanted their positions made permanent.

They were literally asking for three things.

They wanted pre-eminence. They wanted the glory and honor that came from being elevated to a throne.

They wanted Proximity. They wanted to be close to Jesus in the Kingdom.

They also wanted Power. These men wanted to have positions of great authority in the coming kingdom.

What made them think that they could ask for such things? There are 2 reasons why they made such a request.

First, they based their request on their relationship to Jesus. Matthew tells us that Salome, their mother, made the request first, Matt. 20:20-21 ²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. ²¹ “What is it you want?” he asked. She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom.”

Salome was Mary’s sister. Thus, she was the aunt of Jesus and James and John were His first cousins. They appealed to their relationship as family.

Second, they were  claiming the promises they had been made. Matt. 19:28. ²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel

These men had been promised thrones, power and position in the kingdom and they were making a claim on that promise. That may be why Jesus did not rebuke them for their request. They were asking for what would be given to them, but they did not understand the Lord’s timing in the matter.

(Note: What bothers me about their request is the timing of it. Jesus had just finished telling these men that He is going to Jerusalem, to be betrayed, rejected and killed, v. 33-34. All these men can think about is climbing to the top of the pile. All they can see is their position, and prestige.  Jesus is about to die for sin and they are playing “who’s on first?”

These men never did grasp the idea that their leader, the Lord Jesus Christ, was headed to a cross. All they could see was the crown. They wanted the crown without the cross. They wanted the glory without the pain.

The problem with the disciples is the same problem people have today. Most people are not concerned with the glory of God. All they care about is the glory from God and finishing first. All they care about is their own power, position and prestige. The problem with the disciples, and the problem with many of us, is that we can be filled with pride. Pride always leads to defeat, Pro. 16:18; 1 Cor. 10:12. What if God gets more glory from my finishing last? A humble, submissive spirit will prevent many failures.

34. v. 38-39a The Response – Jesus responds by telling them that they have no idea what they are asking for. He confronts them by asking them if they are willing and able to experience all that He is about to endure.   v. 33-34.

When Jesus uses the word “cup” He is talking about “a life experience”. When He uses the word “baptism” He is referring to being “submerged or immersed” in that experience. Jesus is saying, “I am about to be immersed in an experience that you cannot imagine. Are you able to go through it too?” He is lasered focused on the completion of his mission. Nothing can get in his way and nothing will stop him at this point.  No regret, no remorse, no retreat.

 “Procrastination is opportunity’s natural assassin.”– Victor Kiam

The law of inertia tells us a body in motion stays in motion. And the same goes for projects, creative ideas, daily tasks, half-written emails…. When you interrupt a task, it can be difficult to pick it up again.

And we are interrupted nearly every three minutes, according to Gloria Mark, professor of informatics at University of California, Irvine. What’s telling is that roughly half those interruptions are self-imposed.

The result: When you’re working on something without a clear deadline, seeing it through to its end can be a huge challenge.

In this section I want to give you 4 practical tips that will keep you focused.              

Nearly a quarter of adults around the world are chronic procrastinators, according to research conducted by Joseph Ferrari, professor of psychology at DePaul University and author of the book Still Procrastinating: The No Regrets Guide to Getting It Done.

1. Stop ruminating over the negatives.(What is rumination? … The process of continuously thinking about the same thoughts. Such animals, like cows, eat grass, swallow it, and then regurgitate it and chew it some more. When the food is regurgitated to be chewed again, it’s called cud. This process of chewing and rechewing is called rumination)

Jesus could have focused on the horrific events that were about to unfold but he kept his focus on his mission.

But when embarking on creative work, what are you thinking about when you take the time to focus? Are you ruminating about failures or savoring the good times? “What we found was that they were ruminating about failures,” says Ferrari of his examination of procrastination patterns in creative people. That negativity was what hurt their progress most.

2. Being a perfectionist is no excuse.
   Every master procrastinator has figured out a way to justify that delay in finishing. One of the most common is the perfectionist card. Regardless of whether you identify as a perfectionist or not, research shows there is no marked difference in the way others perceive your delay. “You’re not going to get sympathy,” says Ferrari. In other words, calling yourself a perfectionist won’t get you out of the fact that you aren’t getting things done.

3. Working under pressure doesn’t actually produce better results.
   It’s not that procrastinators are lazy. More likely they busy themselves doing things other than what they are supposed to be doing. Claiming you work best under pressure–another of the procrastinator’s favorite go-tos –is simply not true, says Ferrari.

When put under time restraints to complete a task, he found that subjects claiming to work better under pressure actually produced worse results.

4. Quit getting stuck on the big picture.
   Procrastinators who avoid finishing what they’ve started don’t miss the forest for the trees, as the euphemism goes–they miss the trees for the forest. “People who have trouble finishing a project don’t have problems seeing the big picture,” says Ferrari. “It’s how to break it down into manageable tasks that can be paralyzing.” His advice? “Just do something now. Start something and get going.”

Jesus is on His way to Calvary where He will bear the sins of His people on a Roman cross.  Nothing will distract him, detour him and divide his attention.

If it were me, “Father can we just get this over with?”

1. v. 39b-40  The Revelation – Jesus tells them that they will experience His anguish to a degree. They will die for their faith. All of them died a martyr’s death, except for John and he was exiled to Patmos and greatly persecuted for his faith. These men would walk the same road that Jesus walked, but they could never endure what He was about to suffer.

Jesus tells them that positions in the kingdom would not be given out based on selfish ambition, but according to the will of sovereign God. The same is true in life! What a person receives in this world in terms of blessings, usefulness and ministry are all determined by the will of God.   John 3:25-30.

(Note: I see preachers all the time who are trying to make a name for themselves. They are always jockeying for position. If they can just meet this preacher, or preach in this meeting, or preach in that church, then the doors will open and everything will fall into place. That is not how it works! God knows where His men are and He promotes them as He chooses; when He chooses and where He chooses. We noticed it in Lakeland. In my own ministry, in the beginning, I was guilty.

1. v. 41-44      A SOMBER PROCLAMATION
2. v. 41  The Exasperation  (a feeling of intense irritation, rage or annoyance)  – When the rest of the disciples heard about what John and James were up to, they became angry. Perhaps they were angry because these fellows were trying to promote themselves over the rest. Maybe they were angry because James and John beat them to the draw and asked Jesus first. Whatever the reason, they are steamed!

Their reaction to what James and John did is no better than the request James and John made. The ten hear what James and John did and they react by becoming angry. People don’t always act like we think they should. And, when they don’t it is easy to become offended with them. It is so easy to allow anger to creep into our hearts.

I am supposed to love you with an unconditional, unfailing, unquestioning love. If I don’t, the problem is not with you or what you may have done. The problem is with me. My love is not right, so, my heart is not right.

1. v. 42  The Examination – Jesus doesn’t allow their anger to simmer. He addresses the issue at hand and calls their attention to the Gentile world around them. He lets them, know that “high seat seeking” is the way of the world. Those who rule in this world rise to the top by grabbing power and oppressing their opponents.

INSERT FROM PENTECOSTAL PREACHER

You can even find that situation in the church. There are always those individuals who like to think they run the show and have all the authority. Just for the record;

He wants the disciples, and us, to understand that God has a higher goal for His children.

37. v. 43-44  The Expectation – In these verses, Jesus simply restates an earlier teaching, Mark 9:33-37. These men didn’t get the message at first, and most of us haven’t gotten it either. But, here it is again.

The Lord wants us to know that the path to the top leads through the bottom. If you really want to reach the top, you must start out at the bottom. If you really want to be a leader, you must first learn how to serve.

Jesus uses two words here that you should underline. The word “minister” in verse 43 is the word that gives us the word “deacon”. That word speaks of a person who “serves others”. The other word is the word “servant” in verse 44. .

This idea is this: if we want to be recognized and respected, we must give up all ambition and selfishness. We must live out our days serving others.

It means being willing to get none of the glory. It means being willing to do the most servile and menial of tasks with no thought of receiving recognition or thanks. If we want to come out on top, we must first start by serving.

If you are looking for respect, learn to serve. People respect those who serve them. Respect is earned, it is never demanded.

3.  v. 45   A SPIRITUAL PATTERN: ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

(Jesus uses His impending sacrifice as the ultimate example of sacrificial service. He sets the pattern all of His people are commanded to follow.)

1. The Prominence – The word “even” reminds us of who Jesus is. He is the Son of God. He is God in the flesh. If anyone who ever walked on this earth should have been served it should have been Jesus.

He could have commanded legions of angels to do His every bidding. Instead, He walked many dusty miles serving those around Him.

He could have come to this world as a King and been born in a palace with servants and great wealth. Instead, He was born in a stable, in abject poverty. He did not come to be served, He came to serve.

If our God is willing to serve humanity, we should be willing to serve as well.

1. The Passion – The Lord’s passion to serve was such that He willingly took the place of a slave. The greatest example of that can be seen the night before He went to the cross.

When Jesus and His disciples finished their meal in the upper room, Jesus put a towel around His waist and washed His disciple’s feet, John 13:1-17. He took the place of a slave and washed the dirty feet of men who would run away before dawn. He washed the feet of Peter who would deny Him three times before dawn. He even washed the feet of Judas Iscariot who would betray Him into the hands of His enemies that very night.

Jesus freely served those who would break His heart. When the next day dawned, Jesus performed the greatest service of all when He went to Calvary to die on the cross for sinners who hated Him and wanted nothing to do with Him.

Service was His passion. Service was His life. May that same passion grip our hearts! May we freely take the place of slaves and serve others for the glory of God alone!

1. The Price – The cost of service for Jesus was extremely high. He willfully surrendered his life so we could live. Jesus willingly went to His death to save those who cared nothing for Him. He suffered the shame, the pain, the humiliation, and the agony of the cross to serve the lost. He took the place of a common criminal and was judged as a rebel so that sinners could be saved. He willingly entered into death so that others might enter into life.

Why did He do it? He did it because He loves me, Rom. 5:8. He did it because He hates sin, Heb. 9:26. He did it to satisfy God’s demand for a perfect human sacrifice, 1 John 2:2. He did it to please the Father, Isaiah 53:10. He did it to set me free, 1 Pet. 1:18-19.

What is His reward for this kind of service?

Our Lord’s reward will be found in two places. First, His reward is in the changed lives of men and women who receive Him as their Savior and live out His love in the world, Heb. 12:2. His greatest reward is found in the face of the Father. Because Jesus served humanity so selflessly, God has promoted Him to the pinnacle of glory and worship, Phil 2:5-11.

How did Jesus arrive at such an exalted place? It isn’t because He is God! He is there because He took the place of a slave. He is there because He willingly chose the lowest place of all and God elevated Him to the highest place of all.

While you and I will never reach the same place Jesus occupies, the same principle that caused Him to be exalted is at work in your life and mine. Here is what Jesus said, “¹⁴ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. ”Luke 18:14 The Word of God also says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time,” 1 Pet. 5:6.

Conc: For the Christian the way up is always down. Is that the path you are walking? Are you actively seeking ways to serve others without procrastinating? We have places of ministry in this church where you can serve, are you serving in them? There are people all around us who need to know about Jesus, are you telling them? There are needs on every hand, are you seeking to meet them? If the Lord has touched your heart about your service, today would be a good day to enlist. Don’t put off or procrastinate what you have sought out to do. Don’t deny or delay your calling, your vision, your mandate by entertaining distractions on your way to your destiny.