Church Matters: Leaders that Serve, Part 1

Mark 10:35–45 ESV

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Why We Want Our Lives to Count by R.C. Sproul

We want our lives to count. We yearn to believe that in some way we are important. This inner drive is as intense as our need for water and oxygen.

We argue about religion and politics, abortion and homo-sexuality, nuclear weapons and welfare programs. We bicker about a host of things, but at one point we are all in harmony: every person among us wants to be treated with dignity and worth.

The hunger for esteem is the propelling force behind the entrepreneur's brilliant enterprise, the athlete's competitive spirit, the warrior's lust for conquest. This elemental drive has been dissected and analyzed by scholars, peeled layer by layer and subjected to the closest scrutiny, only to be praised by some and damned by others. No sentient person, however, denies the brute fact of this drive in all of us.

The aspiration for significance can be known by other names and called by other terms. The businessman might call it "success motivation" or the "goal of achievement." Our founding fathers spoke of it as the "pursuit of happiness."

The hunger for significance is consuming, and when it eludes us it leaves an empty void gnawing to be filled. The hollow point aches for satisfaction. We dream, we hope, we fantasize our moment in the sun, hoarding the scraps of success in the trophy room of our souls.

Why are we always seeking for significance?

Should we stop trying to seek significance?

The Servant of All Servants

(Mark 10:35-38)

Mark 10:35–37 ESV

And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”

James and John, who in another place have been called the “sons of thunder” (Mark 3:17) because of their desire for God to destroy people.

They come to Jesus and ask to sit with him in His glory.

Again we see that these disciples do not understand who Jesus is very well.

They still see him as one who is going to restore the kingdom of God through strength and power and victory over his enemies through battle and conquest.

Theology of Glory

Worldly Glory

“Your Life for Mine”

Their conception of Jesus is that He was going to go to Jerusalem and be king and they wanted a slice of that pie.

Their question though it may seem to be innocent is actually seeking their own glory and fame.

They want to sit next to Jesus as He crushes the nations.

They want to rule with Him over the nations.

Jesus corrects their misunderstanding by saying that they do not know what kind of throne He will be sitting on.

The throne that Jesus is referring to is His impending death and resurrection in Jerusalem.

“We are NOT supposed to read this and think, “How do these fools keep missing it?”

We’re supposed to say, “What are WE missing right now?”

When you see how John and James respond, and you realize how hard it is for anybody to take in the magnitude of what the cross really means, you will be on your way to attaining the gift of humility.” -Tim Keller

Mark 10:38 (ESV)

Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking.

He says to them that they don’t understand what they are asking for.

They lack knowledge of what Jesus is about to do.

They lack understanding on what Jesus has come to do.

They have a perspective that sees Jesus as the guy with power that they should hang around with if they want some of that power for themselves.

To be fair to these disciples, they are no different than everyone before they came to Jesus Christ.

They are no different from when we are tempted to walk in the flesh.

Mark 10:38 ESV

Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”

Theology of the Cross

Christ’s Glory

“My Life for Yours”

The cup that Jesus is referring to is the cup of wrath that Jesus will drink to the bottom.

It is the cup of wrath that God has planned to pour onto the nations.

The cup of wrath that Jesus will drink to the bottom.

The baptism that Jesus references here is the baptism of death and suffering.

Jesus refers to baptism that is coming for him as one of death and dying.

He asks these two confused disciples,

Can you drink the cup of God’s wrath?

Can you be baptized with death and come out the other side?

Mark 10:39 (ESV)

And they said to him, “We are able.”

Here are the two disciples that Jesus loves.

Deeply confused.

Deeply arrogant.

Deeply self-sufficient.

Deeply sinful.

Hear the arrogance in the words they are saying.

Mark 10:39–40 ESV

And they said to him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

Worldly Greatness≠­True Greatness

(Mark 10:39-45)

They will drink from the cup of Jesus, they will be baptized with Jesus’ baptism.

What they are asking for they will receive but NOT in the way that they think they will.

To sit at his right and left hand has already been prepared.

I would argue that Jesus is referring here to the two men who will hang beside Him on the cross (Luke 23:32-33), but either way, this position is NOT for James and John to ask for.

It’s NOT even for Jesus to assign but for the Father to assign.

Mark 10:41 ESV

And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.

The other ten disciples were “angry” at James and John.

Here they were jockeying for position within the twelve.

They were seeking their own benefit above their brothers.

You can even picture them bickering back and forth as they were upset that James and John would try to get a better seat at the table.

Jesus rallies the troops again to teach them something very important.

Jesus IS NOT upset with them because they are seeking to be great.

Rather He is redefining what TRUE GREATNESS means.

Mark 10:42 ESV

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

Worldly Greatness

“Your Life under Mine”

Jesus reminds them of what leadership looks like in the world.

Namely that the Gentiles “rule” or “domineer” like we saw last week.

This is the same word used for “bully.”

The Gentiles leadership looks like bullying those in their charge.

The ones who are called “great” in our society “exercise authority” which is different than the exercising oversight like we saw last week.

They are different words, to exercise oversight is to look out for another person’s soul.

To “exercise authority” here is to have the sense of “tyrannize” another person which is a kind of oppressive power and severity.

The ones who are considered “great” in our society are those who tyrannize those under them.

Notice something about what Jesus says....

He doesn’t say we should STOP seeking greatness.

He doesn’t say we should STOP seeking significance.

He says we should DEFINE GREATNESS CORRECTLY.

He says that we should DEFINE Greatness like God does.

Mark 10:43 ESV

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,

“What are WE missing right now?”

True Greatness

Servant of All

“My Life for Yours”

His followers are not meant to be like those who rule over or tyrannize over others.

Jesus redefines for them true “greatness.”

Greatness does not look like the world defines it.

Greatness does not look like pagans define it.

The world always defines greatness with (Money, Sex and Power).

This unholy trinity of greatness are the embodiment of what Jesus condemns.

Rather, He says, true greatness is becoming a servant.

Or literally “A DEACON.”

This is profound, Jesus says that being a deacon is NOT about a position.

It’s not about a role.

It ought to be the life of every Christian.

If you desire to be great in this life, then be a deacon.

If you want to be great, then become a deacon.

Because the heart of a deacon is the heart of being a servant.

Expository Thoughts on Mark Mark 10:35–45: Ignorance of the Sons of Zebedee,—Lowliness and Self-Devotion Enforced by Christ’s Example

Let them never forget, that true greatness does not consist in being an admiral, or a general,—a statesman, or an artist. It consists in devoting ourselves, body, and soul, and spirit to the blessed work of making our fellow men more holy and more happy.

True greatness is redefined as being a servant.

Notice the manner that Jesus came in....

Mark 10:43–44 ESV

But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.

If you want to be first among everyone, then be a slave.

There is a slight difference between these two words for “servant” and “slave” a servant could serve out of choice whereas a slave served out of obligation or compulsion.

“Slaves do not serve as a matter of choice, since they are not free and do not belong to themselves.” (EGGNT, Williams)

When you have a church that is lacking servant minded people, you have a church filled with worldly people.

If you want to be great in the eyes of God, then be a deacon.

Notice the reason Jesus gives for this...

Mark 10:45 ESV

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

To Serve, Not Be Served

The King of the Universe did NOT come to claim His position to be served.

The King of the Universe did NOT use His position to gain.

The King of the Universe did NOT take advantage of those who are lesser.

Philippians 2:5–7 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Even the Son of Man did not come to be served.

The Son of Man, the ONE who God will give all authority in heaven and earth to.

The Son of Man, the ONE who has always existed and by whom everything exists.

The Son of Man, the Messiah and Lord of ALL.

Did not come to BE SERVED.

Did you know that God does NOT want us to serve Him, PRIMARILY?

This is what shows the difference of Christianity and all other religions.

Other god’s need held up.

Other god’s need support.

Other god’s need our help as people.

Acts 19:27 ESV

And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”

God does not NEED us to serve Him.

Jesus tells us here that His desire is NOT that we serve God.

Actually His desire is to serve us.

He did not come to be “deaconed” but He came to “deacon.”

Religious activity as a way to earn our way.

“I know that God wants me to be back in church.”

Moral cleanup as an attempt to be acceptable.

“I know that God wants me to clean my life up.”

Mark 10:45 ESV

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Unless you are first served, you don't have a share with Him

John 13:1 ESV

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.

Jesus knew that His hour had come to an end.

At this point nobody had washed Jesus’ feet.

Rather than ranting and raving about the fact that nobody has considered Him and He had to sit all dinner with dirty feet.

He gets up and puts a towel on and serves them.

The master washes the servants feet.

This is completely upside down.

John 13:2–4 ESV

During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist.

You can hear the disciples asking among themselves...

“What is He doing?”

“What does He need?”

“What is He going to show us?”

John 13:5 ESV

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

You can see the shock on their faces.

John 13:6–8 ESV

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”

Unless you are first served, you don't have a share with Him

If Jesus does not wash Peter’s feet then Peter has no share with Him.

In the same way, as a Christian if we are NOT first served by the Lord Jesus, then we will have no part with the Lord Jesus.

Mark 10:45 ESV

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Giving His Life As a Ransom

(Mark 10:45)

Jesus does this by giving His life as a ransom for many people.

He gave His life by dying in the place of sinners.

What does the word ransom mean?

Mark (c) Jesus’s Instructions on Discipleship: Learning to Be a Servant (10:42–45)

for a payment made to bring about release and to buy freedom for those held in bondage, including prisoners of war, slaves, and debtors

When we hear Jesus saying that He has given His life as a ransom.

We need to hear Jesus saying that He has stood in our place in the punishment we have deserved.

Substitutionary Sacrifice

“My Life for Yours”

Jesus substitutes His life for those who turn from their sin and believe.

The wrath of God is still coming for those who are outside of His substitutionary work.

What does all of this have to do with being a deacon?

Christians are called to be "deacons," serving from a gospel-shaped heart which says, "My Life for Yours."

This is the word “deacon” in a general sense.

But next week we will examine the person of a deacon.

The Bedrock of A Deacon

Though Christian’s are all called to serve one another in a general sense.

The New Testament tells us that there is an office of being a “deacon” in a more formal sense.

But the foundation of all deacon ministry is this cry.....

Here is the KEY to true significance.

“His Life for Mine” creates the cry of “My life for yours”

Christians are called to be "deacons," serving from a gospel-shaped heart which says, "My Life for Yours."