Go to the back of the line!

How many of you hate waiting in line?

We live in a world, where waiting in line is for people who like lines, have time or who don’t want to spend the money to skip the line and go right to the front.

Disney has their fast pass system, to the airports, Clear, TSA pre-check, Global Entry, when you visit your favorite tourists sights, they even “Skip the Line” tours.

And can I be honest, I like all of those! I hate lines.

Most of us don’t like waiting in lines. As a matter of fact, we want to get to the front of the line or skip the line altogether.

In many ways it betrays our hearts. We think we are better, entitled, more in need of saving time because our time is more valuable. We have just added another data point to what it means to succeed in life and love. It happens when we no long have to sit with the masses, or wait in line with the peasants. We have come so far and fallen so deeply into front of the line thinking, feeling and living.

Slide In the upside down – inside out world of the Kingdom of God there is a different way to the top!

Over the past few weeks, we have looked the teachings of Jesus as written in Matthew dealing with all the things that you and I have to deal with every day of our lives. How to resolve conflicts, forgive those who hurt us, manage possessions without possessions managing us, and dealing with our struggles without comparing our lives with those who are better off or worse off than us. What we have seen is …

Slide Jesus teaches a different path to success!

That brings us to our text this morning In Matthew 20:20 where we will hear Jesus’ own words about getting ahead in life. Jesus is going to tell us, go to the back of the line!

So we begin today with a mom who wants her sons to be able to skip the line altogether. She’s watching, listening, and sees an opportunity to ask something for her sons.

Slide Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Matthew 20:20–21

Slide Helicopter Parenting is not new!

How many of you have heard the term Helicopter Parent?

Helicopter parents are those who are involved in over-parenting. It involves excessive levels of involvement and control by parents in their children's lives. A motivation for this parenting style is driven by the parents' worry that their child might come to harm or not flourish.

Kind of like these parents.

Slide - cartoon

Human resource professionals have reported incidents of parents attending job fairs on behalf of their children and have even attempted to negotiate their child’s salary. Due to this increasing trend of over-active parenting, some colleges have now started providing guidelines for staff who have to interact with overly involved parents.

Seven Signs you might be a Helicopter Parent

1. You fight your child’s battles.

2. You do their schoolwork.

3. You coach their coaches.

4. You keep your kids on a short leash.

5. You’re a maid in your own house.

6. You play it too safe.

7. You can’t let them fail.

But …

Don’t we want to do what’s best for our kids? Don’t we want them to get ahead and not fall behind. Don’t we want them to succeed in school and life? Sure, but is this the best way?

The mother of James and John, was looking out for her sons. She goes right up to Jesus, assumes a posture of humility, kneels before him and asks that he give her sons the job of judging others and administering justice.

Huge ask. Bold ask. Only a mother would ask something so bold for their children.

Sitting at the right and the left hand of Jesus was no small ask! They would be the most powerful people in the kingdom next to Jesus.

Slide Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” Matthew 20:22

First you is to mom, second you is the James and John.

This question is one that we have to ask ourselves even now.

Slide Can you drink from this cup?

You might answer just as the James and John did, “Sure” I can do that. If that is the only prerequisite for the job then sure. Sweet, it looks like we have the job! Give me the cup!

Sure, what a silly question, I can drink from that cup. Maybe the bigger question or the question that James and John should have asked, is “What’s in the cup?”

A cup is just the delivery system. The bible says that there can be a lot of different things in that cup.

In the OT, kings had cup bearers who had the responsibility to drink from the cup before the king drank from the cup, just in case what was in the cup might kill the king.

The cup of God’s wrath, a cup a cold water to a stranger, a cup of blessing as in “my cup runs over.”

I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, Psalm 116:13

Paul tells us that

21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 1 Corinthians 10:21

4 The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. Revelation 17:4

Four cups in the Passover meal – Exodus 6:6-7

Slide Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. Exodus 6:6-7

1. The Cup of Sanctification – based on God’s statement, “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians”

2. The Cup of Judgment or Deliverance- based on God’s statement, “I will deliver you from slavery to them”

3. The Cup of Redemption – based on God’s statement, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm”

This is when the finish Passover, but it is not finished because they did not drink the fourth cup. Jesus doesn’t drink this last cup … the meal doesn’t end.

Jesus is in the garden and he prays …

Slide And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

4. The Cup of Praise or Consummation – based on God’s statement, “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God”

This last cup is the cup that changes everything … The cup of suffering, surrender, serving, solitude, struggle, sacrifice, - it is a cup of praise for as Psalm 136:1 says …

Slide Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

Slide Are you ready to do what it takes to fulfill the calling and purpose of your life?

Slide There is a different way to experience struggle in the world!

We look at our lives through the cup that is life, that cup that is a promise, the cup that is grace, strength, perseverance, this cup that is our commitment to God’s will and way, not my will but your will be done!

Jesus says …

Slide He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. Matthew 20:23-24

We will experience suffering, struggle, sacrifice, surrender … we will have discouragement, disappointment, difficulties, even disasters, disease and ultimately death! Jesus reminds us in the Beatitudes …

Slide Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 5:11–12

John records these words of Jesus …

Slide I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16:33

The nerve that James and John would stand by and let their mother ask Jesus for a position of power for her sons. A place that they had neither earned nor could perform. Their mom was thinking only about her sons and their success and happiness, and James and John were thinking only about their opportunity, privilege, position and even power.

It's a lot like today where graduates entering the workforce want all the trappings of success without having paid the cost, time, struggle to earn the promotion through effort and hard work. They want to get to the top, get ahead, get the upper hand as soon as they can by all means necessary … But …

Slide There is different way to the top that begins at the back of the line!

Jesus sees the resentment building, the tension increasing between the disciples. So, he calls his disciples together to teach them and us an important lesson on how to succeed in life and love.

First …

Slide We don’t power up!

Slide But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. Matthew 20:25-26a

Jesus is observing and stating as a matter of fact that those in power, want to stay in power. Those who have power and privilege can easily put their thumbs on the scales of justice. They want to keep people down, keep them in their place. The ruling want to find something to rule! It rolls downhill. Till I am ruling the kids and the kids yell and rule over the pets!

Rather that power up we serve up!

Slide We serve up

We serve up a dish of love, grace, mercy, kindness, generosity … we go to the back of the line, we put our needs before those who are in need around us …

Slide But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26b–28

Slide How do we practice Back of the Line Living

I think Paul gives us a glimpse into the daily practice of Back of the Line Living when he writes …

Slide Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3–4

Slide Humble yourself- think of yourself less!

Slide Serve others in a way that is to their benefit and blessing.

Then Paul goes on to say …

Slide Mind your mind!

Slide 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. Philippians 2:5–7

Slide Mind the gap! - PAD starts here

Slide Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8–9

Ask yourself these questions,

· Does this benefit me or others?

· Am I serving my self-interest or the interest of others?

· Who gets the glory or recognition?

· Am I avoiding what is difficult rather than drinking from the cup?

Prayer – followed by song Simple Kingdom

Taking Communion

1. The Cup of Sanctification – based on God’s statement, “I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians”

2. The Cup of Judgment or Deliverance- based on God’s statement, “I will deliver you from slavery to them”

3. The Cup of Redemption – based on God’s statement, “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm”

Jesus doesn’t drink this last cup … the meal doesn’t end.

4. The Cup of Praise or Consummation – based on God’s statement, “I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God”

Continue the song - Simple Kingdom