How's your Balance?

Intro-

While we were in myrtle beach we went to the pirates voyage show. It was dinner and a show, e got chicken, corn on the cob, pulled pork, a roasted potato, soup, bread and an apple pie dessert, they kept bringing youmthe food as the performers put on the show, it was pretty sweet. One thing about the show was it that it was supposed to start at 6pm, but they said we needed to be there by 5pm, for the pre-show which just happened to be right next to the gift shop. During the presho however they did hve one act that I thought was pretty awesome. A man came out with a board and a cannon ball and started balancing on the cannonball by standing on the board, then he added more things to it so that at one pint he was about 8 feet of the ground balancing on two cannon balls a couple of logs and the original board he started with. This man had an amazing ability to balance.

proposition

tonight as we continue our ordinary heroes study we will see the apostle John and how he learned to have balance in his life and why it is necessary for us as well. to do that we will look at

I. The Basics

II. The Brashness

III. The Balance

The Basics

John’s Family

Son of Zebedee

Younger brother of James

John’s Work

Fisherman

Worked with his family

John’s call

Called from the boat

(ESV)

No Formal training

21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

No Formal training

The Brashness

Not always loving

We stoped this Guy

(ESV)

Anyone Not Against Us Is for Us

38 John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

He isn't one of us we cant have him doing this

Even though it is true, he isnt part of the group it was not the proper response

John wasn't concerned about the people being helped

He new this guy wasn't one of them

Jesus responds

Mark 9:39–40 ESV

But Jesus said, “Do not stop him, for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. For the one who is not against us is for us.

Not Always Humble

(ESV)

Who Is the Greatest?

33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Wanted to know who was the greatest

Probably thought he was in the running

This was a continual discussion among the 12

(ESV)

A Mother’s Request

I want to be one of the two next to you

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 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.”

I want to be one of the two next to you

He wanted the position of power

He was ambitious

Not a bad thing to desire in itself

But to ask to for it over everyone else .....

The Balance

John Spent three years with Jesus

He was in the inner circle

He saw a lot of amazing things

Transfiguration

miracles upon miracles

Jesus teaching all the time

This had a deep impact on him

He learned to Balance truth with Love

John Actually became known as the apostle of Love

We see is love for the truth and his love for others in the books he wrote

in the Gospel of John he used the word love over 80 times

he didn't neglect the truth- he used that 45 times

He learned to balance pride with humility

after serving with Christ he knew it wasn't all about himself

In the Gospel of John he never refers to himself by name

the one whom Jesus loved

In his later years he had to be carried in and out of the church of ePHESUS

A big shot to your pride if you have to rely on others

a long ways from wanting to be the greatest

So what?

Are we living a balanced life ?

we know the value of a well balanced diet

How can we grow in Chirst if our diet isnt right ?

John learned balance from being with Chirst - where are you learning it from ?