Mark 9:30-50— 1/14/2024 - English

I'll start with this question this morning, who is the goat? Some of you probably don't even know what I'm talking about. Who is the goat the goat the greatest of all-time right? It's a very popular phrase in the Sports World. If you ever listen to Sports Talk Radio, you know, they do fill up an hour of their on airtime. If you have a discussion about who is the greatest of all-time which is a pretty raging debate in the basketball World LeBron, James played many years. The leader in points got all these accolades, but he's never wanted me to championships has Michael Jordan. And for most people my age growing up Michael Jordan was the greatest of all time. If you grew up in a generation before me it might have been Wilt Chamberlain. It might have been Larry Bird. Am I didn't Magic Johnson?

but the debate rages on you're a fan of Golf Tiger Woods, burst onto the scene in a very young age winning all of the majors that he seemed like everyone who participated and he was winning, but then there's the bear Jack Nicklaus still has the most number of Majors ever won, but the debate rages on I hear War locally you got three Hall of Fame quarterbacks between Bart Starr Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers. And so there's a long debate even within this community about who is the greatest quarterback ever played for HomeTown team. It's not much to rain anymore though without the greatest quarterback of all time has Tom Brady is now won seven super bowls with two different teams. Surpassing his childhood Idol, Joe Montana and for years the debate raged on who is greatest Tom Brady or Joe Montana. Well 3 more Super Bowls. Did Montana ever won in the debates kind of over as a kid. I was a big baseball fan as a big fan of the Atlanta Braves and on this one pitching staff. They had probably three of the greatest pitchers of all time. All on the same team Tom glavine Greg Maddux, John Smoltz. And then there's the greatest or at least the self-proclaimed greatest Muhammad Ali. Float, like a butterfly sting like a bee. If he called himself the greatest and for a while there, it seemed like nothing to bring him down. But what do all goat conversations have in common? are pointless you were like me, but when I was a kid, my dad always told me there's always going to be somebody better than you. Give me somebody that can do things better than you. There's always going to be someone who does something better than you Tricia. Is that person in most ways for me? She does pretty much everything better than I all of these debates are sort of pointless. Because just a few more years and there's somebody else. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback now named Patrick Mahomes is going around on Twitter last night when he won another playoff game in the minus 30 degree weather. They're calling him the baby goat because give him enough time and he probably would be better than Tom Brady. There's always going to be someone else coming along taking your throne. The reality is everyone wants a life of significance. Everyone wants a life feeling like they're good at something. Everyone was alive feeling like they accomplished something but knows most of us are never going to get close to being the greatest. And our text today, we see the debate of the greatest the attitude of the greatest and the fate of the greatest 30 with me. But I left that place and made their way through Galilee, but he did not want anyone to know it was teaching his disciples and telling them the son of man is going to be betrayed into the hands and then they will kill him and after he was killed he will rise three days later, but they did not understand the statement and they were afraid to ask him. I came to capernium and when he was in the house, he asked them. What were you arguing about on the way they were silent because on the way they've been arguing with one another about who was the greatest sitting down and called the 12 and said to them if anyone wants to be first, you must be last and servant of all age of a child having stand among them and taking him in his arms. He said whoever welcomes one little child such as this in my name welcomes me and you ever walk with me does not welcome me, but him who sent me. John said and teacher we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him because he wasn't following us. Don't stop it said Jesus cuz there's no one who will perform a miracle in my name who can soon afterwards speak evil of me forever is not against us is for us and whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in my name because you belong to Christ truly. I tell you he will never lose his reward. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believed in me to fall away. It'll be better for him. If I have a millstone were hung around his neck and he was thrown into the sea. Adrian cause you to fall away cut it off is better for you to enter life maimed and have two hands go to hell the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to follow a cut it off is better for you to enter life lane than that two feet and be thrown into hell and if your eye causes you to fall away gouge it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than have two eyes and he thrown into hell where their worm does not die in the fire is not quenched for everyone will be salted with Fire Sauce is good, but it's a salt to lose its flavor. How can you season a salt among yourselves and be at peace with one another? first the debate of the greatest

they leave this place where Jesus is just cast out another demon from this young man this boy whose father yelled out. I do believe help my unbelief and as they're going away. They're going to make their way through Galilee, but Jesus doesn't want to stop and say hello to his family. He doesn't want people finding out that he's passing through he wants to pass through unannounced and as they're going he starts to explain to them again what he came to do and he uses his favorite term for himself. The son of man the son of man was that term from Daniel chapter 7. Daniel chapter 7 Daniel is watching and see the throne set in place in the Ancient of Days Seated on the throne and suddenly one like a son of man is coming with the clouds your proofs the Ancient of Days and was asked or two before him. He was given dominion and glory and a kingdom so that those of every people nation in language should serve him. His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion that will not pass away in his kingdom one. That will not be destroyed and hear Jesus is Calling himself the son of man

And following it up with again that he is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. killed and Rising 3 days later Wait a second. The son of man is a king. The son of man has an everlasting Dominion. The son of man is the Messiah. The Son of Man is the one you can prove the Ancient of Days on his throne. He's supposed to be the greatest. And you're telling me the son of man is going to die. The son of man is going to be betrayed.

That makes no sense. It's at the debate of the greatest. The son of man is Raging in the head of these disciples.

Can you be the son of man if he's talking about dying? It doesn't make any sense.

He's going to leave this Kingdom into a new Range this Kingdom and we've been waiting for for all these years. It's coming and he's going to be the one to bring it.

It doesn't make sense.

But they're too afraid to ask. Continue on their journey and as they're making their way to capernium Jesus puts them on the spot.

I used to argue with my sister in the back seat and occasionally my dad would just let it happen. An occasionally later, he asked what we were arguing about. Occasionally he would stab his head back and give me those to beady little eyes. Yeah, I didn't mean to say anything. I just needed to look and it stopped. I've been wandering through near per diem and they've been arguing amongst themselves in light of what they were just told who among them was the greatest. Because I'm here with cheese the same but he is the greatest. He's the Messiah he's come. It's a when he brings his new kingdom and who's going to be his first lieutenant. You can be the captain who's going to be the general. Who's going to be the one that gets to enact his plan? Who's going to be the one with all the power?

Who's going to be the greatest? You can imagine the disciples pointing out the flaws of one another. Poking it all the infections poking away and eating away at their own identities.

John you're too boisterous. Will Peter you're too arrogant? Philip Andrew

send me your character assassinating one another because none of them think the other is good enough to lead in the future coming Kingdom.

Cuz they all think they should be the one at the head of the line.

That sounds like the debate of the greatest.

Can I get the greatest is debating going on in their minds when Jesus tells them what he has to do? But instead you remember the weapon of the Pharisees that Pride the Jesus warned them about it continuously continues to creep in it finds its way eating away inside their heart making them have this stupid pointless debate about which among them is going to be the greatest. And just like the debate about the goats. This debate is pointless.

Just going to point out why and it comes from the attitude of the greatest.

He says in verse 35 sitting down. You know, if you guys wanted we we could all just like I can get a chair and we could sit and do this and in an in first-century times the person didn't necessarily stand up when they started to teach they would if they knew the people really well, they would sit down with him and get very close if they wanted to bark at them there or or yell at them or get on to them. They might stand and address them. Jesus instead of jumping down their throats He sits down with them and finds an opportunity to teach. Call the 12in said to them if anyone wants to be first. He must be last and servant of all. He brings that little child. He brings a little child over to him in the Greek word. Therefore putting his arms around in his he embraced him. He gave him a hug. And children in the first century were viewed as very much because a high percentage of children wouldn't make it to the age of five.

Something we get them. disease death it so until they got to an age where they could be useful. It wasn't like today or we love and cherish our little kids and we had big smiles on our faces when we got a whole bunch of kids running around because we see the wife in the vibrant send them in the first century. These children were a commodity Until they were useful they weren't that useful. Jesus is trying to tell them even the least.

even the little child even the little child who can't do anything for you. Any of you that I've ever had children know that there's an age at which children are not much fun. Because they can't tell you they love you. They can't give you a smile. They're not going to give you a hug. They're not going to thank you for giving them food there. Just going to cry when you don't. They're not going to sleep. They're going to keep you awake at all hours of the night and then give nothing to you. But you love them anyway. And then there's that age where something's were so switch flips and they get more and more fun because they start returning and reciprocating some of the love that you've been pouring into them for several years. I think it was we got through the terrible threes and it was about that time. But the point is Jesus is saying love the people who can do nothing for you. Love them like you love a little child.

One little child such as this in my name welcomes me to whoever welcomes that's little child. welcome.in self

that's the attitude of the greatest. You are the people who don't love you back. You love the people who don't have anything to give you in return. You are the people who are in the most need. Because no one else is going to lock up.

And as if he didn't even hear what Jesus said. We'll get the case study that John Brinks. John said to him teacher we saw someone driving out demons in your name and we tried to stop him because he wasn't following us.

What does Jesus say back to him?

You miss the point. You miss the attitude. You miss the purpose of what I just told you. John and the disciples are so convinced that their methods are perfect that they lost sight of their mission. What is their mission? to follow Jesus But they think that the only way anyone can follow Jesus is literally by following him around the Sea of Galilee everywhere. He goes sitting at his feet. And John comes across this man who's casting out a demon in Jesus name and John said he can't do that. You didn't tell him he could do cast out demons in your name. He's not like us he's not as good as us. He doesn't have it all figured out like we do. Are we the people who are giving up everything and sacrifice everything to follow you around for the last three years only. We should be the ones casting out demons. We tried to stop him. His methods are different than ours.

What does Jesus say? He's telling them that man has a mission to.

He has a different purpose is a different place. His methods may not line up with your picture of what the greatest in this coming kingdom is going to be

Yeah, that's without demons in my life. Either. Give somebody a cup of water. If he doesn't in my name. Never lose his reward.

the attitude of the greatest the greatest the answer to the greatest is they don't like to do my message there for they can't be doing the mission. And Jesus says you can't confuse the mission with the methods and if you fall too much in love with the message message, you lose sight of the mission.

and the greatest truly greatest the servant of all Never loses sight of the mission.

to do things in the name of Jesus whether it's a cup of water. Casting out a demon or bring some food to someone who's out of work or bringing gas to people who can drive or that they don't have the money for it or paying someone's bills or whatever. It may be right the servant of all

message don't matter It's all definition.

and thirdly third thirdly that work Thursday the fate of the greatest.

fate of the greatest T the greatest among the disciples the puffed-up Arrogant prideful and the greatest Jesus warns them about their fate.

The one who causes a little one to struggle the one who called it a little one to Fall Away would be better to have a millstone one of these massive stones that they used to ground flower hung around their neck and thrown out into the sea. It'd be better to die by drowning. And to find out the future that awaits.

He tells them something pretty gruesome.

I don't really like talking about this because it's pretty aggressive.

Jesus is the one that said it.

Your hand is causing you to fall away. You need a rock cutting it off.

Did the Jewish people look down on people who were disfigured? people who were dismembered people who had physical anomalies they were thought to be sinful or cursed and their family had done something that was sinful or it brought them a curse. Jesus said you would be far better off. Losing a limb. And losing your soul.

Because your soul is going somewhere your spirit. Your whole person is going somewhere. The place that it's going if you insist on being the greatest.

Where the worm does not die. And the fire is not quenched. What that means? you know, that's a reference to took a little digging. It's actually a quote from Isaiah 66 one of the last things that Isaiah says before the close of his prophecy.

And it's a reference. There's a valley outside of the south southern part of Jerusalem called the valley of hinnom. The valley of hinnom was an Infamous place. because in the region of Canaan their worshippers of a false god named mohawk moolack was actually a three letter word MLK and the Hebrew people when there was a false god would put their vows in and make it a forward mohawk. people who worship moloch did Invite the sacrifice of children.

Many people who have written about this in and found archaeological discoveries. I think they would have a statue with a Bull's Head. hands in the center of hole and people would take their first born child. I need to put it in the center of this hole and they would light it on fire.

praising the name of moloch for financial prosperity

There's actually evidence that this practice went on not just in the region of Canaan, but all the way to North Africa.

This idea of child sacrifice.

And one of the things that I found fascinating about the history of this is where was Abraham sent to to settle the land of Canaan. Where this child sacrifice and false god worship was already occurring. You have the story of Abraham leading Isaac up on the mountain and God is going to require Abraham to sacrifice his first-born child.

Then he pulls away. Why? I am not a God Like no luck.

What is the history goes much of the moloch worship happened in the valley of hinnom and if you ever heard of the word gehenna. It's an Old Testament word that usually means he'll we'll gehenna is the Hebrew word for the valley of hinnom. Because up until the Babylonian captivity moloch child sacrifice worship continue to happen in the valley of hinnom.

and called gehenna

When the Israelites return from Babylonian captivity, whatever happened in Babylon, they finally got rid and got over their own worship of moloch. Did you know that Solomon actually worship moloch at a time?

And guess what? They turn the valley of hinnom in.

adult

give me the city dump. It was the city Wasteland. It was the city landfill.

And there was always something there for the worm to eat.

I will take dead bodies. They would take their carcasses. They would take that refuse. And they would light them on fire. And the fire never stopped.

Show me the Israelite. Where was the grossest place on Earth?

Where were the most foul place on Earth be? Valley Cinema

They could even be around a dead body different touch a dead body. They couldn't be where all the carcasses that have been sacrificed were taken. They couldn't be with all the fills and Do song and jump without it this landfill where the worm is never quenched. And the fire never stops. Where the worm doesn't die because it always has something to eat. The word for worm can actually make maggot.

Jesus is using the most despicable place that these men would have ever heard of. Explain to them. That's your future.

One who isn't servant of all and loving of all and friend to all and embracing the little child and the one who causes the little child to say, I don't want any part of that.

Whatever is causing you to do that you'd be better off to get rid of whatever is making you do that. Then be devoured and burning. forever

only the greatest Jesus says that you're fake.

I don't love talking about hell.

Call my favorite.

I don't I don't even like thinking about it. An eternity of existence without the presence of a good and loving God. I hear people say from time to time that something right now has been hell on Earth.

There's a lot of goodness in this world. There's a lot of god-given creation left for us. There's a lot to be celebrated because we are still touched in light of the cross.

I don't like thinking about hell. I don't like talking about it.

We all have to be warned of Our Fate. If we insist on being the greatest.

That is why Jesus is trying to tell them. Is that the mark of greatness? Is an inverted life?

It's a life not marked by being known as the greatest at something. It's not a life marked by all of the accolades that come from being really good at whatever it is you do.

a great life in light of the cross Is an inverted life?

He is there's no better example of that than him.

It sure seems like you want to be the greatest. You have to lie cheat and steal.

Seems like if you want to be the greatest in this world. You have to compromise what you believe. It seems like if you want to be the greatest in this world. You have to sacrifice something.

But you shouldn't be sacrificing.

Mark of greatness is in inverted life lives upside down to the culture into the time a life that lives upside down so that everyone around you is doing

world we live in is a self-centered police. Inverted life isn't others centered life.

Means that you don't count yourself greater than anyone else.

To lighten up a little bit. There's a movie quote if you're not first you're last.

Jesus actually inverts that quote if your last will be first.

And it's all because of this.

Because the fate of the greatest was that of a goat. freeze impossible for the blood of bulls and goats 2 take away sins and by that sacrifice Jesus we will have been Sanctified through the offering of his body once for all. provide a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

You know much about Yom Kippur. day of atonement priest would sacrifice animals on his behalf and on the behalf of his family and then it would be a bull and a ran into goats in the ram would be sacrificed as a as a burnt offering and the two goats or the scent offering and the priest would cast lots and one of the goats would be killed. Put on The Mercy Seat dripping blood for the atonement of the Sands of the people but on the second go. The priest would confess the sins of the nation of Israel.

And he would send the goat out of the camp. You send the goat out of the city out to live in Wilderness that name of that goat became known as the scapegoat. scapegoat is that girl got to escape?

Jesus's overdose

is both goats I saw on social media someone post that it's not possible that God could put infinite punishment on someone for a finite life.

He hasn't.

You put the infinite punishment that we all deserve on an infant life Jesus.

Can use that as an argument for the existence of God. You can't use that as an argument for the presence or absence of hell? Because if you believe in the cross you believe in the sacrifice of Jesus as a goat.

It goes that could take away the blood and Stanton from all of us.

Then you realize that. punishments on him

you realize that Jesus became the greatest sacrifice like a goat.

So what must we do? You must become the greatest of all time.

You must think of him that way. If you don't think of Jesus as the greatest ever do it. And to realize that that debate isn't even a debate.

We got some work to do on the starting point. Chris through his inverted life. Jesus became the greatest.

What ends with an inverted life? becoming last in certain wall

We talked about this last week that Jesus considers off. He didn't have us. He left Heaven the gayness. Yeti challenge sauce pure and holy the way he is pure and holy cannot stay living the way we've always lived. But to insist that we be like him. last interminable

and gives us Grace. Because we fall short. We like sheep. Gone astray.

Cross is his grace to us. The question I'll leave you with this morning. Will you follow Jesus is lead? I mean friend and servant to all.

You want to be the goat? That's the way to do it.

Getting any this morning coming out while we stand I'm always saying.

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