God’s Heart
Who is God • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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I wanted to take some time to expand a little on the end of Romans 10 from last week and see the heart of God.
Knowing we would have guest this week, a group of football players from Aurora University I thought I would share one of the big questions I have had in my sports career.
What happens when I pray to win before a game?
Is God a chiefs, patriots, colts, Bengals, or Bears fan?
or in College Basketball
Is God cheering for The Jayhawks or Is he an MU fan (it sure does not look like it this year)?
I know it is a silly question but let’s take this a step further.
Some of you would say I don’t care about sports so this doesn’t matter to me.
This take this a step further. I have heard some of you articulate that you don’t think God is a fan of you because of life’s circumstances you are walking through.
Life is not easy so therefore God is mad at me. (I don’t know what I did to make him mad)
If Life is easy then God is a fan of me.
My hope this morning is to take some of these thoughts and put them next to the Bible and see how they work.
Matthew 20.
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons approached Him with her sons. She knelt down to ask Him for something.
21 “What do you want?” He asked her. “Promise,” she said to Him, “that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right and the other on Your left, in Your kingdom.”
James and John’s mother comes to Jesus and she kneels down to ask Jesus something.
As a mother, she ask Jesus to Promise that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and the other on your left, in Your Kingdom.
Before we get too far into this, lets give this momma some props. She approaches Jesus and says you know about my two sons where can they sit in your Kingdom. Can one be on your right and the other on your left?
This room is full of mommas who would do this same thing and to some degree you are doing this thing for your children. Of course it may not be your birth momma but it is your grandma who mother figure in your life.
I know the kids are in with us this morning. So children listen to me for just a second. If you have a mother, grandma, or a mother like figure who is fighting for you this morning let’s take a second and be thankful for them.
Now let me give you some background to this text.
17 While going up to Jerusalem, Jesus took the 12 disciples aside privately and said to them on the way:
18 “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death.
19 Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged, and crucified, and He will be resurrected on the third day.”
So right before James and John’s mother approaches Jesus what does Jesus announce?
Jesus is going to be mocked, flogged and crucified, and He will be resurrected on the third day!
James and John’s mother hears this and she says now is the time for me to ask.
Who is she focused on right now? Herself and her sons
So Jesus responds to her
22 But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” “We are able,” they said to Him.
23 He told them, “You will indeed drink My cup. But to sit at My right and left is not Mine to give; instead, it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
Jesus speaks of being able to drink the cup of suffering that he has just described. Jesus would be mocked, flogged and crucified.
Their response is… We are able (Incredible)
v.23
Jesus tells them you will indeed drink my cup
James suffered death early in the church age at the hands of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-2)
John endured hard days on the Isle of Patmos and is thought to have died a martyrs death the end of the first century.
Jesus says to sit at my right and left is not mine to give; instead, it belongs to those whom it has been prepared by My Father.
Father God is a gracious and generous judge he is worthy to be trusted.
The power of contentment in this. Jealousy/favoritism is always jockeying for position. It will online. Always posting the best pics of yourself. Always posting the most fun.
Contentment is knowing Father God is gracious and generous judge and will care for me no matter my current condition. I am content in pursuing the father and trusting Him.
24 When the 10 disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers.
25 But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them.
The other 10 become indignant (feeling or showing anger or annoyance at what is perceived as unfair treatment)
They are upset and annoyed at these guys asking this question and one commentary says they are probably upset with these guys because they asked the question before they could ask it (Ha)
Zero contentment and lots of jealousy
Yesterday playing ping pong
Beating Colten
Cameron driving by
I am undefeated in ping pong and I need someone else to play
Leave it to Kylie and Colten
Colten comes in the house and says I beat her. Kylie’s response
Before all this took place I went in and was talking with Amy about beating Colten and Cameron coming over because I had ran out of people to play.
Amy said wow now I know why our kids talk like that sometimes. I went quiet and started thinking about this. It was within minutes that Colten came in bragging about beating Colten.
OUCH!
Watch the heart of Jesus in this moment. Take note of your thoughts and Jesus’s response here.
26 It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave;
28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”
Greatness in the Kingdom of God
Be a Servant
Be a slave
Jesus came to serve and give His life.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 20:24–28
Greatness in the Lord’s kingdom does not come through rulership or authority but through service (20:26–27). Their goal should be serving, not ruling. Those most highly esteemed will be those who serve, those who are humble.
Next set of verses Jesus lives this out with the 2 blind men
Summarize this story
The crowd tells them to be quiet
Jesus stops and calls them and says what would you like me to do for you.
(Video)
1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy,
2 fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal.
3 Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.
4 Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.
7 Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave, taking on the likeness of men. And when He had come as a man in His external form,
8 He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.
9 For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name,