Good morning. My name is Matthew Capone and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church and it's my joy to bring God's word to you today.
A special welcome if you're new or visiting with us. We're glad that you're here and we're glad that you're here not because we're trying to fill seats, but because we're following Jesus together as one community.
And as we follow Jesus together, we become convinced that there's no one so good. They don't need God's grace and no one so bad that they can't have it, which is why we come back week after week to hear what God has to say to us in his word.
We're continuing our series in the Gospel of Mark. You'll remember that the gospels tell the story of Jesus and his life and his death and his resurrection.
And the first half of the book, chapters 1 through 8, we were building up to this climax as we asked the question, who is Jesus?
And Peter finally confesses in the middle of chapter 8 that Jesus is the Christ.
Now that we've established that the second half of Mark is Jesus' journey to the cross,
and now the disciples are not so much asking the question of who he is as seeing what it actually means to follow him.
Remember that Peter rebukes Jesus right after that confession for speaking about suffering,
and yet we find out, we've seen in these last few sections, that that's a critical part of what it means to follow Jesus.
And so they're learning what it means to take up their cross and follow him.
This morning we're going to take a look at the temptation and danger of success and power.
The disciples here are hoping and thinking that as they follow Jesus, their stars in this world are going to rise.
But they're going to end up being terribly disappointed because Jesus has something far better for them.
And so with that, I'm going to invite you to turn with me.
You can turn in your Bible, you can turn on your phone, you can turn in your worship guide to Mark chapter 9.
No matter where you turn, remember that this is God's Word.
And God tells us that his Word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path,
which means that he has not left us to stumble alone in the dark,
but instead he's given us his Word to show us the way to go.
And so that's why we read now Mark chapter 9, starting at verse 33.
And they came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house, he asked them,
What were you discussing on the way?
Oh, excuse me, starting at verse 30, not 33.
They went on from there and passed through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know,
for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them,
The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him.
And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.
But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
Verse 33.
And they came to Capernaum, and when he was in the house, he asked them,
What were you discussing on the way?
But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
And he sat down and called the twelve.
And he said to them,
If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.
And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them,
Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives not me, but him who sent me.
I invite you to pray with me as we come to this portion of God's word.
Our Father in heaven, we praise you and thank you again that you speak to us in your word,
that you cut through the lies that we're told by others,
and the lies that we believe ourselves, and instead you show us the truth.
We ask that you would show us the truth this morning about success and glory and power,
that it's something that belongs to you and no one else.
We ask that you would cast a spotlight on Jesus,
that we would see him as more beautiful and glorious than we had before,
that you would grow our love and our affection for him,
and you'd grow our reverence and our awe for him.
And we ask these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
As many of you know, Mark Mish goes to our church,
and he keeps a pretty low profile,
so you may not know who I'm referring to.
He wears the characteristic blue rain jacket when he's here,
no matter the time of year,
and he's tall because he's a runner.
He's actually the running coach at UCCS.
He's out of town.
He's out of the country right now.
In fact, he's out of the country a lot because of his job.
He doesn't just coach at UCCS.
He's also the coach for the Estonia national running team.
So he's in Europe right now.
He's working with them,
and they have a big race coming up in Berlin on August 15th,
so we won't see him for a while.
The first time I ever met Mark was at the Panera down on Southgate.
We got dinner.
I think it was before he came to our church,
but he was checking us out.
By the way, Mark gave me permission to tell you all this story.
I emailed him with this this week,
so don't think that if you share a story with me,
it's just going to randomly show up in a sermon.
Mark knows this is happening, okay?
Fear not.
So I had dinner with Mark.
I'd never met him before,
and as we were talking, he said,
Matthew, you're going to really appreciate this.
Do you know the loneliest place I've ever been?
I couldn't guess, so he told me.
He said, the loneliest place that I have ever been
is in the cafeteria at Olympic Village.
Because when you walk into the cafeteria at Olympic Village,
there are two kinds of athletes.
There are athletes who have competed and lost.
And so as they sit there and they eat,
they're thinking to themselves,
what is next?
Put all this work in.
I've put all this effort in.
It hasn't materialized.
And then you have athletes who are sitting there
and they have won.
They have the medal that they've been working for
and they're actually asking the same question.
What's next?
Because they are learning the hard way
that what they've done did not fill their spiritual hunger,
their spiritual need.
Whether you win or lose,
victory, Olympic medals are an empty hope.
You can be the greatest in the world
and be incredibly lonely.
Greatness and power and success
do not and will not deliver on their promises
because they can't.
That's what we see this morning in this story,
that the disciples are not beyond the allure
of greatness and power.
And of course, neither are we.
And so we pick up this story in verse 30.
We find out they were in Galilee.
Remember that Galilee is where Jesus was preaching
in chapter one.
And so in a sense, there's a homecoming here.
But in the past, Jesus was doing these great miracles
and telling people about the kingdom of God.
But now as we meet him, he has this more private ministry.
He doesn't want anyone to know, verse 34.
Instead, he is spending this private time
alone with the disciples
as he enters this period of instruction
that they would know what it actually means
to love him and to follow him.
But he's teaching them something they don't want to hear.
Verse 31, the Son of Man is going to be delivered
into the hands of men and they will kill him.
We find out verse 32, the disciples don't understand
and they also don't want to ask.
One person says this is probably because
they understand enough to know
they don't want to know anymore.
Jesus is talking about death here
and they've heard everything that they're willing to hear.
Remember back in chapter eight,
Jesus was speaking about the same thing
and Peter rebuked him there.
Here, Peter is smart enough to stay silent,
not bold or brave enough to ask for more information.
It gets worse than that though.
There's a tragic irony here,
this great disconnect between what's happening
with Jesus and the disciples.
Jesus, verse 31, is telling them,
he's teaching them about suffering and humiliation.
And we find out at the very same time,
while Jesus is giving this instruction to them,
the disciples are talking and thinking
about something very different.
They are talking and thinking about greatness and glory.
We discover that in verse 33,
they get to this house that they're headed to,
very likely the same house that we saw in chapter one,
where Peter and Andrew lived.
And he asks them this uncomfortable question,
what were you discussing on the way?
Verse 34, they have no answer
because of course they're incredibly embarrassed.
What they wanted to know was
who was the greatest of all.
Now comical, if it wasn't so sad,
how much the disciples missed the point.
Jesus is here telling them about suffering
and they instead want power.
And Jesus gives us a basic principle
of the gospel in verse 35.
He tells them, if anyone would be first,
he must be last of all and servant of all.
In other words, the way of the world
is to push other people down
so that you can go up.
The way of the world is to push other people down
so that you can go up.
The gospel actually works in the reverse,
the opposite way.
The way of the gospel is to push others up
as you go down.
The way of the gospel is to push others up
as you go down.
But we can understand the temptation
the disciples have here.
It's a temptation that we feel as well,
that we want success,
not out of a desire to serve God
or others or the world,
not to see God's purposes grow and expand,
but instead that we would never have to feel shame
and weakness and vulnerability ever again.
That we could always be powerful
and independent and never need others.
We would be always wanted
and never rejected.
And of course it comes from this place
of great insecurity
that they're grasping
to find their significance somewhere.
It takes a lot of security
to push other people up.
You might say it takes a supernatural security
to try to do that
rather than fill a bottomless hole.
I'm going to do something
I haven't done before
and I'm going to speak to you all
a little bit differently
than I have in the past.
There are certain things
that you can't say
until you've been with a congregation
for four or five years.
And you know,
I came here in the June of 2017,
which is a little over five years ago.
And some of us have been
through a lot together.
We've bled together.
We've cried together.
We've faced a lot of challenges together
as a church.
And so I say this out of my love for you.
Some of you, many of you
are working so hard
to fill up,
to make up for what did
or didn't happen
when you were a child,
to fill up
what you maybe didn't receive
from your parents
or your family.
And some of you are striving
so hard inside
and outside of the church,
striving to fill something
that you're not going to be able to fill,
grasping for affirmation.
And I want you to know
that that makes me sad
and it makes me sad
because I want you to know
the love of God.
The Bible tells us
about how great
the love of God is.
Romans chapter five
says it was while
we were still sinners
that Christ died for us.
So there's nothing
that you did
to earn God's favor
or his approval.
Not only is there
nothing that you did
to earn God's favor
or his approval,
Romans chapter eight
tells us there's nothing
you can do to lose it.
There's nothing
you can do
that will separate you
from the love of God.
Remember what we saw
in Mark chapter three
when Jesus first called
the disciples,
what did he call them for?
What was the purpose?
He called them
to be with him.
And then he spends
the next three chapters
working with them
before he ever
sends them out.
I've told you guys
many times before
and I'll tell you again
once you have any
power or wealth
in this world
you quickly know
the difference
between people
who are interested
in you
and people
who are interested
in what they can get
out of you.
Have you ever
been with someone
who thought
your presence
was enough?
that it was enough
just that you were
there with them
and they didn't need
you to perform
for them.
They didn't need you
to deliver things
for them.
They just wanted
you there.
Remember I've told you
many times before
that the disciples
got many things wrong
and they got one thing
right.
And the one thing
right is that they
kept following Jesus.
The other side
of that coin
is that they got
many things wrong
and Jesus stuck
with them
which means
that their presence
was enough.
Brothers and sisters
when it comes
to Jesus
and his relationship
with you
your presence
is enough.
love.
You cannot
earn more
of God's
love.
You do not
need more
greatness
or success.
And you might
be wondering
why in a sermon
about success
and power
we're suddenly
talking about love.
And the answer
is this.
We are only
safe
from the
temptation
of power
and success
when we're
secure
in the love
of God.
We are only
safe
from the
temptation
of power
and success
when we
are secure
in the love
of God.
You have
to find
security
or significance
somewhere.
You're going
to try
to fill
that hole
somehow.
and power
and status
will always
be alluring
until we
realize
there's a
better
source.
We're going
to go
somewhere
to fill
that hunger
and that
emptiness
and one
of the sad
realities of
life is that
people will
eat poison
before they
starve.
Know the
love of God
for you.
Lord is my
shepherd.
I shall
not want.
Thomas
Chalmers,
a Scottish
pastor in
the 1800s,
wrote this
book called
The Expulsive
Power of a
New Affection,
which is a
fancy way of
saying you
can't get rid
of an old
love until
you have a
new love.
I'm going
to translate
this to you
into single
man speak.
It's hard
to get over
your old
crush until
you got a
new crush.
Hard to get
over power
power and
success until
we realize
we have
everything we
long for
in Christ.
What power
and success
offer us,
they cannot
deliver.
God,
Jesus,
can and
does.
know the
love of
God.
Let the
love of
God be
greater and
more alluring
and powerful
than power
and success.
Jesus
doesn't
just
call them
out on
their conversation.
He also
gives them
some positive
teaching about
what things
actually look
like in
his kingdom.
Verse 35,
he calls a
family meeting
and decides
it's time
for some
teaching.
He says
this,
if anyone
would be
first,
he must
be last
of all
and servant
of all.
Then he
decides to
have an
object
lesson here.
He takes
up a
child.
Some
people
think
this
child
might
actually
be
Peter's
child.
Remember
there in
Capernaum,
which is
in Galilee,
we know
from chapter
one,
this is
the place
where Peter
and Andrew
live.
We know
that because
Jesus raised
Peter's
mother-in-law
from the
dead.
So there's
a chance
they're still
in that
house and
he's taking
up one
of the
disciples'
children.
He says
to them,
whoever
receives
one such
child in
my name
receives
me.
And
whoever
receives
me
receives
not me
but him
who sent
me.
Now there
are many
places in
the Bible
that talk
about being
a child.
This is
talking about
receiving
children.
They're
related but
they're
different.
What Jesus
is saying
here is
that
greatness
in my
kingdom
does not
come from
caring about
greatness.
It comes
from welcoming
children.
And children
here are
this symbol
of people
who can
offer you
nothing.
Welcome
people who
can't help
you.
Welcome
people who
can't do
anything for
you.
Welcome
people who
might be a
net negative.
Say no
to the
status games
of the
world.
have
room,
have
space
for the
people that
the world
finds
awkward and
inconvenient
that they
find to be
a drain
and in
the way.
I said
earlier I
moved here
in 2017
and when I
did I was
27 and
I turned
28 very
shortly
after.
I just
turned 33
this past
week and
so I'm
younger than
most of
you which
proves that
God has a
sense of
humor.
But I
want you to
know while
I'm younger
than many of
you if not
most of you
I brag
about you
and I brag
about this
church like a
proud parent.
Someone asked
me recently
what it is
that I love
about Cheyenne
Mountain and
I said what I
love about
Cheyenne
Mountain is
that Cheyenne
Mountain is
an island of
misfit toys.
We are not
a church of
beautiful people.
We are not
a church
I also said
look if you
come to our
church there's
going to be a
place for you.
Our people
welcome whoever
comes in the
doors.
They welcome
whoever.
There's no
cool kids
club at least
as far as I
know.
If I find out
there's a
cool kids
club I'm
going to be
very offended
because no
one has
invited me.
There aren't
these highly
curated friend
groups where
it's like we
have figured
out who the
cool people
are in the
church and
we're going
to only hang
out with
them.
Some of
you all
are super
weird.
Okay.
And you
have a
super weird
pastor.
And God
has brought
us together
as a
family of
blessings
that he's
given us.
You be at
churches
sometimes right
before the
benediction the
pastor will
say something
I've never
said before
which is make
sure you greet
someone new.
You know why I
never say that
before the
benediction?
Because I
don't need
to.
I know that
no matter who
walks into our
church you all
are going to
welcome them.
I know and
we could tell
some stories
okay.
I'm not going
to.
Some of you
have been here
for some
things.
I know just
come up with
whatever stereotype
you want.
Whoever doesn't
fit in the
most.
I never have a
question in my
mind about
whether Cheyenne
Mountain is going
to go and talk
to that person.
I am so
proud of
you.
When I
think of
that fills
me with joy.
Some of you
are very
wealthy.
Some of you
are very
successful.
Some of you
are both.
I also told
this person
you know we
have a lot of
successful people
in our church
and they
don't use
their wealth
and their
success to
hide their
failure and
their mistakes.
I've watched
you all over
the last five
years take
care of people
who can't offer
you anything in
return.
I've watched it
happen over and
over.
I say all
these things to
you not to
pat us on the
back, not as a
place of self
congratulation.
I've told you
before there's no
self congratulation
when it comes to
the gospel.
We're never
congratulating
ourselves.
We're never
patting ourselves
on the back.
That's different
though than
encouragement.
It's different
than saying I
see God at work.
Continue.
Keep doing what
you're doing.
Our church has
plenty of
weaknesses.
Believe me, I
know about
them.
We've got our
own things that
we can grow
and we've got
our own sin
patterns.
There are things
we can learn
from other
churches.
What I want to
tell you today
is when it
comes to this,
keep on
keeping on.
It is a
biblical category
to name what
is good and
to say, keep
it up.
Revelation
chapter 2,
there's the
letter to the
churches and as
this letter comes
from Jesus
Christ, he names
as a church
has a strength.
What it is.
1 Thessalonians
chapter 1, one
of the most
underrated verses
in the Bible,
Paul is writing
to this church
and he says,
I don't need to
write to you to
tell you about
brotherly love
because you
already know.
You're already
doing it.
And so he ends
it with this
important phrase,
verse 10, we
urge you brothers
to do this
more and more.
In other words,
Paul knows
there's ways
they can grow.
He knows there's
probably ways the
church has not
fully lived up
to it, but he
doesn't come
forward to them
and say, hey,
and here's the
ways where you're
sinning and you
really need to
level up.
If you guys have
been here, you
know, you know
that I'm always
pushing us towards
greater and more
holiness.
I want us to be
moving forward as a
church and there's
also times to say,
1 Thessalonians
chapter 4, verse 9,
concerning brotherly
love, you have no
need for anyone to
write to you.
for you yourselves
have been taught
by God to love
one another.
Cheyenne Mountain,
I can say to you
concerning brotherly
love, you have no
need for anyone to
write to you, for
you yourselves have
been taught by God
to love one another.
And so I urge you
brothers to do this
more and more.
Cheyenne Mountain,
welcome children
more and more.
be hospitable
more and more.
Be concerned
for those who have
no status in this
world more and more.
Give to those who
cannot give back
to you more and
more.
When I came here
April of 2017 to
sort of kind of
interview, I spent a
lot of time with
Jim Franks and
Paul Bishop.
We had this
breakfast over at
IHOP by Home
Depot.
and Jim was
just like grilling
me about small
group stuff because
that's what I was
supposed to come and
do.
Joke's on you,
Jim.
Paul Bishop told
me about this
church and he said
the one thing that's
always been true of
Cheyenne Mountain is
its welcome.
That this is a
church where people
are embraced.
I can tell you this
morning five years
in this is a church
where people are
welcome.
I've seen you all
do it over and
over.
Do it more and
more.
Okay, I told you we
have some life
principles here.
Principle one, hard to
get over your old
crush until you have a
new crush.
Principle two, you
can't give away
things you don't
have.
You cannot give away
things you don't
have.
How is it that
you're able to
give to those who
can give you nothing
in return?
It's because you've
been filled with the
love of God.
It's because you've
been filled with the
love of God.
Rich and powerful
people have no
appeal to you when
you know that God
will take care of
you.
when you know the
Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
You're able to risk
your social status by
hanging out with
awkward people when
you know you're
secure in the love
of God.
You cannot give
away what you
don't have.
So I say again to
you what I said at
the beginning,
Cheyenne
Mountain, know the
love of God.
Know the love
of God.
God's love is not
based on your
status.
It's not based on
your performance.
In God's kingdom,
you don't earn
security and love.
You've already
received it.
That's the good
news of the gospel.
That's what allows
us to give away
to others.
It is easy to
give gifts
when you know
your father's rich.
It's easy to give
gifts when you know
your father is rich.
It's when Jesus
accepts you and you
know it that you're
able to be calm
and present and
offer that kind of
security to others.
Know the love of God
more and more.
Welcome, children,
more and more.
The famous
1981 film
Chariots of Fire
tells the story of
two different
runners who are
similar in many
ways and also
different.
They're competing in
the 1924 Olympics.
Their names are
Eric Little and
Harold Abrams.
Abrams has this
deep wound,
this insecurity,
this anger that
he's trying to work
out from growing up
as a Jew in
Judeo-Christian
Britain.
And he believes
that winning the
Olympics is going
to be the solution
to his problems.
If he can only
get that gold
medal, it will
finally resolve
all of his angst.
So we see at the
beginning of the
movie, there's
very different
things going on
with these two
men.
Abrams is wrapped
in prestige.
He's at Cambridge
University.
For the first time
in 700 years,
he's able to
complete the
challenge of the
college dash.
And so he's
going up in
popularity and
success.
On the other
hand, we see
Eric Little,
who's off in
the middle of
nowhere in the
Scottish Highlands
helping to run
this children's
race.
And so one is
this worldly
success and
champion.
The other one
is hidden away
in Scotland.
Little has to
be convinced to
compete in the
Olympics because
he's not sure if
it fits his life
mission of
following God no
matter what.
But he loves
to run.
Abrams, on the
other hand,
actually confesses
at one point that
he doesn't love
running at all.
Instead, he says,
it is a compulsion,
it is a weapon
against being
Jewish.
Little, on the
other hand, says,
God made me fast.
When I run, I feel
his pleasure.
Abrams believes
that running is the
way that he is
going to, he says
this, justify my
whole existence.
Abrams.
Now, if you're
familiar with the
movie, you know
that the end, both
of them get a
gold medal.
The problem is
they respond very
differently.
Abrams receives
the gold medal
that he's been
longing for.
He becomes, at
that moment, the
fastest man in
the world.
And what do we
see after that?
He's in the
locker room with
the rest of his
teammates and he's
not able to talk
to them.
He's depressed and
morose and he
walks out all by
himself.
In one of the
last scenes, he's
standing with his
coach, he's sitting
in this bar and
both of them are
drunk.
His success has
not given him
what he needed or
wanted.
Doesn't know what
to do.
As he's racing,
you can see his
face is filled with
anxiety and fear.
little's face is
filled with joy.
And after he
finishes, he goes
and celebrates with
his friends.
Brothers and
sisters, we need
to be freed from
the power and the
allure of greatness
and success so that
we can have joy as
we run.
We can offer
God's welcome to
the least of
these.
If anyone would
be first, he must
be last of all and
servant of all.
Whoever receives
one such child in
my name receives
me and whoever
receives me receives
not me but him
who sent me.
Let's pray.
Our Father in
heaven, we thank
you again for
your word that
you've given to
guide us.
We ask that you
would grow us
more and more,
that your grace
would continue to
be at work,
that we would be
people who are
tempted less and
less by power and
success, that we
would love you and
your welcome more
and more, that it
would be truer and
truer of this church
and this community.
We ask these things
in Jesus' name.
Amen.