Blessing and joy to have you with us here this morning. Steve ministers and serves in Passage West Baptist Church, so our sister church there. So Steve, thank you and you're very welcome. You and your family with us here this morning.
So thank you, Steve. Good morning, everyone. It's a joy to be with you. You can turn in your Bibles to Mark chapter 10. That's Mark chapter 10. As Ralph said, I am not from Passage West. I am from Florida, but we live in Passage West. We've been in Ireland for about 12 years. I'm one of the elders at Passage Baptist along with Shane and Brendan and John Daunt.
So we greet you. The church greets you. We see you, as Ralph said, as a sister church. It is a joy to be able to see what God is doing in all of Cork and to be a part of it, isn't it? It's a joy to be able to see that we can work together for the sake of the gospel.
And so my wife Valerie is here. We have four children. We have two here with us today. I've got two that are in Florida right now. One lives there.
And then our oldest daughter, Aisley, is flying back on Saturday. She spent the summer there. So it is, like I said, a joy to be with you.
So I'm going to read from Mark chapter 10, starting at verse 35. Mark 10, 35. I'm reading from the CSB.
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, Teacher, we want you to do whatever we ask you.
What do you want me to do for you? He asked them. They answered him, Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.
Jesus said to them, You do not know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?
We are able, they told him. Jesus said to them, You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with.
But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give. Instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.
When the ten disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John.
Jesus called them over and said to them, You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,
and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. But it is not so among you.
On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant,
and whoever wants to be first among you will be slave to all.
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Let me pray one more time for us.
Father, we come before you now trusting that you will speak to us through your word,
which you have done from the beginning of time.
And so we ask God that we would hear from you,
that you would use your word by your spirit to transform us,
and that we would see Christ a little more clearly today.
Help us now, we pray.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
So when I was about 20 years old, I was at a camp in central Florida,
the very camp my two oldest children are at right now.
And I was serving there during the summer,
and it was raining as it does in Florida in the afternoons,
a deluge really coming down.
We have this open-air gymnasium,
and basically the whole camp was in there.
And I was standing on the porch of that gymnasium,
and I happened to be standing in a puddle,
and I happened to have my hand resting against this metal downspout that was there,
when lightning struck a post about 20 meters away from me.
Now, however that electricity flowed,
part of the flow of least resistance was through my arm.
And so I was thrown back from that lightning strike,
and thankfully I was okay.
I probably should have gone to the hospital.
I didn't go to the hospital.
But my arm ached all day,
and maybe, maybe, just maybe,
that's the day I started losing my hair.
I'm not sure.
It's the idea of the path of least resistance
in that story that reminds me of this passage.
So the disciples here of Jesus
have been traveling with the Lord for a few years,
but they're still unclear.
They're still unclear on his purpose and his mission.
But we see it even in verse 32,
if you go up from the passage I just read,
verse 32,
they were on their way to Jerusalem.
Jesus was walking ahead of them,
and he tells them plainly in verse 34
that they're going to kill him.
So he is being clear.
The disciples are just not quite getting it.
James and John here in this passage,
our passage,
they wanted the path of least resistance.
They wanted glory as fast
and as painlessly as possible.
They wanted to be served without serving.
They wanted to sit next to King Jesus
when he conquered the Romans,
but they didn't really want the mess
that came of that along the way.
They wanted a conquering king.
They didn't want a dying servant.
And just like these disciples
needed a wake-up call
to the sobering and glorious reality
of who Jesus is
and what he came to do,
we need that too.
We need to be sobered by the humble Christ
that the Lord Jesus
came to die
and to serve humanity.
And that is why we should worship him.
I want you to see and respond in worship
to the beauty of Christ,
the perfect servant.
Why is Christ's servanthood
worthy of our worship?
I want to show you two reasons
from the text
to worship Jesus this morning.
There's many reasons.
I just want to show you two
from this text
why we should worship Jesus.
Firstly, worship Jesus.
He's the suffering servant.
Look back at verse 35.
James and John,
the sons of Zebedee,
approached him and said,
Teacher,
we want you to do
whatever we ask.
What do you want me to do for you?
He asked them.
They answered him,
Allow us to sit on your right
hand, your right and your left
in your glory.
Jesus said to them,
You don't know what you're asking.
Are you able to drink the cup I drink
or to be baptized
with the baptism I am baptized with?
We are able, they told him.
Jesus said to them,
You will drink the cup and I drink
and you will be baptized
with the baptism I am baptized with.
But to sit at my right or left
is not mine to give.
Instead, it is for those
for whom it has been prepared.
James and John,
you either love them
or you just get really annoyed by them.
I mean,
who do these hotshots
think they are?
Apparently,
they think much of themselves.
The sons of thunder
were bold
and seemingly a bit brash
at times.
And here,
man,
they just go for it.
They just go for it.
They believe
that Jesus is the Messiah,
but they don't yet understand
what kind of Messiah
they're following.
They fully expect
that Jesus will conquer the Romans
and deliver his people
from worldly oppression.
That's what they expect.
But Jesus had been really clear.
Like I said,
he was going to come and die.
Yet,
James and John here
are really happy
to ask a favor
of the Lord.
They wanted power
and privilege
just like the Romans had.
That's what they wanted.
They were actually
going to bring
exactly what they wanted
to end.
It's going to reveal
a little bit
in that question
of can we sit here.
The radical way
of the cross
seemed to be
the furthest
from their minds.
But Jesus
graciously tells them
that they don't
know what
they're asking.
Verse 38.
They don't know
what they're asking.
He then
flips it,
as Jesus tends to do,
and asks them
a question.
Look at the question
in verse 38.
Are you able
to drink the cup
I drink
or to be baptized
with the baptism
I am baptized with?
So,
the Lord Jesus Christ
holds a unique place
when it comes to suffering.
His cup of suffering,
that's the cup
that Jesus is talking about,
this cup of suffering,
his cup is bearing
the wrath
of God's judgment
for sinners.
No one else
could ever
or will ever
do that.
He's unique
in that way.
The idea of baptism
here pictures
the complete
suffering,
the overwhelmingness
in his suffering,
the immersion
in suffering,
the drowning
in suffering.
That's the unique
place of Jesus.
Excuse me.
James and John,
though,
still don't get it
because they answer
his question.
Sure,
we're able.
Yeah,
Lord,
we can take it.
We can drink the cup.
Could someone maybe
get me a cup of water?
That would be great.
Thanks, Sam.
They're like,
yeah,
that's their proud response.
We can do it.
It's an easy response
to a really sobering question.
Jesus tells them,
verse 39,
oh,
yes,
you will
drink a cup
of suffering.
The Apostle Paul
later
writes to the Romans
that Christians
are children of God.
And he says this,
you don't have to turn there,
but he says this
in chapter 8,
verse 17.
He says,
and if children,
you are heirs,
heirs of God
and co-heirs
with Christ.
Thanks, brother.
If,
indeed,
we suffer with him
so that we may
also be glorified
with him.
the way
of kingdom leadership
and discipleship
is the way
of suffering.
Now,
Jesus alone
will suffer
for the sins
of humanity,
but what Jesus
is telling James
and John
is they will suffer.
That cup of suffering
is also going
to be theirs.
And we know,
because we can look back,
James was murdered
with the sword.
John was exiled
to a lonely island.
Are you able
to drink the cup
I drink?
This is what Jesus asked.
Think about that question.
Are you able
to drink the cup
that I drink?
Jesus Christ,
the Lord of all things,
the maker of heaven
and earth,
the timeless,
eternal Son of God,
the second person
of the Trinity,
he chooses
a cup of suffering,
a baptism,
an immersion
of suffering.
He does this
to serve humanity.
He does not take
the path
of least resistance.
He takes the path
of most resistance.
The last verse
in our passage,
therefore,
even the Son of Man
did not come
to be served,
but to serve
and to give his life
as a ransom
for many.
brethren and sisters,
he is the king
that leads you
into battle.
He is the commander
who is first
on the battlefield
and he is the last
to leave.
He is the rescuer
who saves you
from the fire
while getting
burned himself.
He is the shield
that takes
all the blows
that you deserve.
He is the high tower
that is bombarded
to protect you.
He is the Passover
lamb slain
on your behalf.
Jesus Christ
is worthy
of your worship
this morning
because he is
the suffering
servant.
Are you too proud
this morning
to be served
by Christ?
Christ?
Are you too proud
to be served
by Christ?
This often is a
stumbling block
for people coming
to faith,
isn't it?
They are often
too proud
to admit
that their sin,
their lives,
their mess,
their heart
are all too much
for them
to deal with.
Is that you
this morning?
Are you too proud
to need a savior?
Are you too proud
to be served
by someone?
Or maybe you
are a Christian
this morning.
In humility,
you have trusted
Christ.
But brother
and sister,
have you forgotten
the tenderness
of Jesus?
Have you forgotten
the tenderness
of Jesus?
Jesus left
the glories
of heaven
to serve
you.
And sometimes
we think of that
and we think
it's just like
some idea
of you
or we think
he came to
serve you,
ye,
humanity,
but he came
to serve you
by name.
He came to
serve you
by name.
He came to
serve Sam
and Noah
and Cherry
and Becca
and Ben
and Alex
and Asia
and Ralph.
He came
to serve
you.
You!
Christ came.
He is the
servant of servants.
Brethren and sister,
when you are
at your lowest,
Christ is there
to gently
lift
your head,
to hold
your hand.
When your
depression
feels
inescapable,
Christ is
there to
serve you.
When your
anxiety
is off
the charts
and you
feel completely
out of
control,
Christ
delights
to serve
you.
Parents,
when you
feel completely
incapable
of the task
set before
you,
which is like
all the time,
Christ's
strength
is there
in your
weakness.
His heart
for you
is never
fickle.
His heart
for you
is never
fickle.
He does
not waver
in his
affections
for you.
He does
not get
annoyed
with your
struggles
or your
sinful
tendencies.
As one
author
put it,
serving
sinners
is what
gets
the Lord
Jesus
Christ
up in
the
morning.
He
delights
to serve
you.
The
enemy,
Satan,
wants you
to forget
this.
He wants
you to
stumble
and feel
like there
is no
help.
He wants
you to
sin
and feel
like you
can't be
forgiven.
He wants
you to
feel
independent
like you
can take
care of
yourself.
But
brother and
sister,
you cannot
take care
of
yourself.
You need
a Savior
to serve
you.
You need
Jesus just
as much
today as
the very
first day
that you
cried out
for his
mercy to
save you
from your
sin.
And so,
I call
you and
myself to
believe that
the Son of
God who
created all
things is
1000%
for you.
He is
never
against you.
He is
willing to
grow.
If He's
willing to
go to
the cross
to bear
your sin
and shame,
He is
willing to
walk with
you through
the darkness.
He is
willing to
sit with
you patiently
in your
doubts
and your
fears.
The Lord
Jesus Christ,
the second
person of
the Trinity,
will serve
you.
He will
serve you
comfort.
He will
serve you
joy.
He will
serve you
peace.
He will
serve you
grace that
transforms you
into His
very likeness.
And it
is that
transforming
grace that
empowers you
to do
exactly what
Asia talked
about these
believers in
Mongolia,
empowers you
to serve
others.
To serve
others.
To bear
each other's
burdens.
To weep
with those
who weep.
Husbands,
it frees
you to
love your
wives as
Christ loves
the church.
It allows
you to
give
sacrificially
to the
kingdom.
It allows
you to
think of
others'
needs
before
yourself.
It allows
you to
take
insult
and derision
because you
are proclaiming
Christ
and loving
the people
around you.
His
service
enables
you
to
suffer
for
others.
His
service
for you
allows you
to drink
a cup
of
suffering.
And when
you think
you deserve
something,
like James
and John,
when you
think you
are entitled
to something,
remember,
you are
entitled to
nothing but
death and
judgment.
the wages
of sin
is death.
You've
earned it.
You
earned it.
But when
you were
desperately
broken in
your sin
and owed
a debt
that could
only be
paid in
hell for
eternity,
Christ
suffered
for you.
Worship
Jesus
because he
is the
suffering
servant.
Secondly,
worship
Jesus.
He's
the
truly
great
one.
Look at
verse 41.
When the
ten
disciples
heard this,
they began
to be
indignant
with
James
and
John.
Jesus
calling
them
over
and
said
to
them,
you
know
that
those
who
are
regarded
as
rulers
of
the
Gentiles
lorded
over
them,
and
those
in
high
positions
act
as
tyrants
over
them.
But
it
is
not
so
among
you.
On
the
contrary,
whoever
wants
to
become
great
and
whoever
wants
to
be
first
among
you
will
be
slave
to
all.
For
even
the
Son
of
Man
did
not
come
to
be
served,
but
to
serve
and
to
give
his
life
as
a
ransom
for
many.
Here
we
see
the
other
disciples'
response
to
James
and
John's
request.
They're
a bit
upset.
Shocking.
They're
upset.
They're
indignant.
They're
angry.
They're
annoyed.
They're
resentful.
Who
are
these
guys
to
think
that
they
can
sit
on
the
right
and
left
of
Jesus?
More
than
likely,
they're
a little
bit
miffed
that
they
didn't
ask
the
question
first.
Like
always,
Jesus
turns
their
petty
conflict
into
this
amazing
teachable
moment.
And
this
wasn't
the
disciples'
first
time
entering
into
this
kind
of
discussion.
Just
the chapter
before
in Mark
9,
we read
that the
disciples
are
arguing
among
themselves
who's
the
greatest.
Can
you
imagine?
Can
you
imagine
discussing
who is
the
greatest
while in
the
presence
of
Jesus?
Seems
shocking,
right?
Like we
would never
do
something
like
that.
I
think
we
probably
do
that
more
often
than
we
think
we
do.
These
disciples
were
literally
walking
in the
footsteps
of
greatness.
They
have
seen
the
Lord
Jesus
heal
disease.
They
seen
him
give
sight
to
the
blind,
cast
out
demons,
raise
the
dead.
Peter,
James,
and
John
saw
him
transfigured
into
glory.
They're
arguing
who's
the
greatest
among
them.
It's
a little
glimpse
at the
human
heart,
isn't
it?
And
here
again
in
chapter
10,
the
disciples
are
arguing
and
competing
for
position.
So
he
gathers
them
in,
kind
of
like
a
team
huddle,
and
he
starts
laying
out
the
reality
of
discipleship
and the
kingdom
of
God,
what the
reality of
greatness
really is.
Verse 42,
he reminds
them of
the pagan
leaders
around them,
how they
see them,
that those
rulers
lord their
power over
them,
that they're
tyrants,
that they're
dictators.
And then in
verse 43,
Jesus says
his kingdom
should have
none of that.
that should
not be
among you.
Do you
want to be
great?
Be great
servants.
Do you
want
status?
Put
yourself
at the
bottom.
This
is the
upside
down,
inside
out
kingdom
of
God.
The
way up
in
God's
kingdom
is
down.
This
pushes
against
everything
the world
tells you,
doesn't
it?
Look at
verse 45
again.
It's the
crux of
the
passage,
the crux
of the
whole
gospel
of Mark.
Jesus
did not
come to
be served,
but to
serve and
give his
life as
a ransom
for many.
That's
astounding.
It's just
astounding.
A ransom
is a
costly
payment to
set a
captive
free.
That's
what a
ransom
is.
We
sang
about
it.
If
you
have
trusted
Christ
for your
salvation,
brother and
sister,
your
ransom
is
paid
in
full.
You
are
free.
Free
from the
condemnation
of sin.
Free
from an
eternity
of death
and judgment.
Free
to love
God
and love
others.
The
person
and the
work
of
Jesus
redefines
greatness.
He
redefines
greatness.
Greatness
is
suffering
for
and
serving
others.
But
you know
what the
world
considers
great
though.
More.
Greatness
is having
more
in the
world.
More
money,
you should
have the
biggest
home
possible.
You
should
go
wherever
the money
takes
you.
Your
salary
indicates
your
value.
More
influence.
That's
what the
world
says
is
great.
The
influence
that
you
have,
you
should
compromise
for
position
and
power
at
work.
That's
what
you
should
do
to
be
great.
You
should
never
take
a
role
that
you
feel
is
beneath
you.
You
must
make
sure
any
contribution
that
you
make
is
noticed.
That's
what's
great
to the
world.
More
money,
more
influence,
more
status.
Your
children
should
be in
the
best
schools.
You
should
have
the
best
car.
You
should
have
the
nicest
things.
Even
countries
think this
way,
don't
they?
Nations
think
this
way.
Greatness
is
measured
by the
strength
of the
economy,
the
power
of the
military,
or if
they
have
a
seat
at
the
table
of
influence.
That's
what
makes
you
great.
So
when
Jesus
reveals
this
truth
in
43
and
44,
on the
contrary,
whoever
wants to
become
great
among you
will be
your
servant.
When
he reveals
that,
we have
to recognize
it is
socially
unacceptable.
You
can
imagine
one of
his
disciples
saying
in
this
moment,
no,
Jesus,
that is
not how
the
world
works.
But
we
must
equally
imagine
Jesus
smiling
and
saying,
you're
right,
but I
have
overcome
the
world.
The
Savior
of the
world
does
not
claim
his
victory
by slaying
his
enemies
in
battle.
He
does
not
plunder
his
enemies.
He
does
not
lord
his
status
over
his
enemies.
Remember,
you
were
his
enemies.
He
claimed
victory
by
dying
for
his
enemies.
Dying
for you
and
for me.
This
is
greatness.
To
be
great,
he
became
the
servant
of
all.
Jesus
Christ
is
redefining
greatness.
Actually,
he's
probably
just
showing
us
what
uncorrupted
greatness
really
is.
And
this
is
not
what
the
world
wants.
The
world
perceives
this
as
weakness,
but
it
is
glory.
Paul
tells
us
in
Philippians
2
that
Jesus
emptied
himself
by
assuming
the
form
of
a
servant,
taking
on
the
likeness
of
humanity.
And
when
he
had
become
a
man,
he
humbled
himself
and
became
obedient
to the
point
of
death,
even
death
on
a
cross.
So,
Jesus
was
obedient,
a
suffering,
submissive
servant,
to the
point of
death
on a
cross.
Paul
continues
in that
passage
in
Philippians
2,
for
this
reason,
as a
result
of
Jesus
humbling
himself
and
dying
on a
cross
for
the
sin
of
humanity,
for
this
reason,
God
has
highly
exalted
him.
He
has
given
him
a
name
that
is
above
every
name.
At
the
name
of
Jesus,
every
knee
will
bow
and
every
tongue
will
confess
that
Jesus
Christ
is
Lord
to
the
glory
of
God
the
Father.
The
servanthood
of
Jesus
leads
to
glory.
The
servanthood
of
Jesus
leads
to
glory.
Every
single
knee
from
Adam
and
Eve
to
you
and
me
will
bow
in
humility
and
submission
to
King
Jesus.
Every
tongue
willingly
or
unwillingly
will
confess
that
he
is
Lord.
The
human
heart
resists
this.
It
is
socially
unacceptable
that
your
sin
requires
payment.
It
is
backward
thinking
and
weak
that
you
need
someone
to
rescue
you
because
you
can't
rescue
yourself.
It
is
foolishness
for
Jesus
to
give
his
life
as
a
ransom
for
many.
The
human
heart
doesn't
want
a
savior.
And
that's
often
again
the
objection.
And
that's
often
what
makes
it
so
difficult
to
accept.
You
do
not
want
to
embrace
someone
dying
in
your
place
on
a
cross.
You
hate
the
idea
of
a
substitute
because
it
shows
you
can't
do
it.
You
would
never
ever
want
your
king
to
die
on
a
cross.
You
know
why?
Because
in
this
world
everyone
thinks
that
they're
king.
This
is
what
James
and
John
didn't
realize
they
were
asking.
They
wanted
their
own
kingdom.
If
you
are
here
today
and
you
are
building
your
own
kingdom
I
have
news
for
you.
Your
kingdom
will
end.
It
will
end.
Every
knee
will
bow
to
Jesus.
No
one
is
bowing
to
you.
This
world
gives
you
a
corrupt
view
of
leadership
and
discipleship.
Jesus
says
in
42
it's
a
pagan
view.
The
Gentiles
are
lording
it
over
them.
Climbing
the
ladder
of
success
or
the
ladder
of
status
in
the
church
is
not
the
way
of
Christ.
can I
just
tell
you
that
you
are
not
competing
with
one
another.
You
are
not
competing
with
one
another.
If
you
are
clamoring
for
recognition
repent.
If
you
want
greater
status
in
the
church
or
at
work
or
with
your
friends
repent.
If
you
are
controlling
!
And
you
just
feel
like
I
have
to
get
my
way
repent.
Stop
asking
whether
a
task
is
beneath
you.
Ask
whose
burden
you
can
carry,
whose
needs
you
can
notice,
and
where
you
can
serve
with
no
recognition.
That
is
greatness.
This
is what
Jesus
did
for
you.
Worship
Jesus
because
he is
truly
great.
he
proved
that
on
a
cross
as
servant
in
all.
And
yes,
he
is
coming
again.
He
came
first
as
suffering
servant
and
he
is
coming
soon
as
conquering
king.
So
he
is
both
that.
He
is
great
in
his
servanthood
and
he
is
great
in
his
kingship.
He
is
great
in
every
single
possible
way.
He
is
the
servant,
son,
and
savior,
all in
one.
He
embodies
those
things
perfectly.
He's
the
truly
great
suffering
servant.
I'm
not
sure
what
you
expected
when
you
were
introduced
to
Jesus
because
I
don't
know
most
of
you.
But
as
James
and
John
found
out,
Jesus
is
far
greater,
far
more
powerful,
and
far
more
humble
than
humanity
thought
that
he
would
be.
he
did
not
take
the
path
of
least
resistance.
He
took
the
path
of
suffering
by
giving
his
life
as a
ransom
for
sinners,
as a
ransom
for
you.
He
is
worthy
of
your
worship
today
and
every
day
because
of
that.
So
worship
the
suffering
servant.
he
is
truly
great.
Let's
pray
together.
Father,
we thank
you for
your
word.
We
thank
you
for
a
great
savior
who
is
just
beyond
measure
worthy
of
our
worship.
Forgive
us
when
we
forget
that.
Forgive
us
when
we
walk
through
our
day
complaining
about
something
and
forgetting
the
king
of
glory
stepped
out
of
heaven
to
serve
us.
Would
we
be
a
people
that
serve
one
another?
Would
we
be
a
people
that
aren't
clamoring
for
recognition?
Would
we
be
a
people
that
want
Christ
to
get
the
glory
and
not
ourselves?
Help
us,
we pray
in Jesus'
name.
Amen.