Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm19961218.htm

MARK: GOSPEL OF THE SERVICE OF CHRIST, GOD'S SERVANT
Part XL: Learning To Submit Our Ambitions Of Glorious Achievement To God's Will
(Mark 10:32-45)
  1. Introduction
    1. Besides receiving love and acceptance, humans need to achieve to be fulfilled. So taught my elementary school teacher, Miss Virginian Patterson who also presided over the National Campfire Girls Association .
    2. However, in our efforts to achieve things for God, there is a catch, and Jesus tells us about it:
  2. Learning To Submit Our Ambitions Of Glorious Achievement To God's Will, Mark 10:32-45.
    1. Jesus faced and informed His disciples of His very trying future suffering, Mark 10:32-34.
      1. As Christ headed to threatening Jerusalem full His many opposing religious leaders, even His disciples marveled at His courage to head there and confront sure trouble, Mark 10:32a.
      2. When these men became afraid themselves, Jesus took them aside and revealed that He needed to suffer in serving God to perform His will, Mark 10:32b-34:
        1. Jesus told how He would be delivered up by betrayal to the religious leaders, Mark 10:33a.
        2. He told how Jews would condemn Him, but the Gentiles would put Him to death, Mk. 10:33b.
        3. He revealed that He would suffer all sorts of physical and verbal abuse, be put to death and rise again the third day, Mark 10:34.
    2. With this news not yet sinking in, two of the disciples asked Christ if they could sit in glory in His kingdom, one on His right hand and the other on His left, Mark 10:35-37.
    3. Christ's response in view of His own impending suffering shows us Christians our need to submit our Christian service ambitions to the will of God as follows (Mark 10:38-45):
      1. Jesus revealed that these two disciples did not understand what they asked, for His sufferings were prerequisite to His kingdom glory to follow, Mark 10:38a.
      2. When Jesus asked in figurative form if they could handle the sufferings He would face en route to glory, they ignorantly claimed they could; Jesus responded that they indeed would drink His cup and be baptized with his baptism of suffering, but that He still did not have authority to grant who would be sitting on His right and left hands, Mark 10:38b-40.
      3. The other disciples, infuriated at being upstaged by these two, had to be corrected by Jesus, 10:41-42a.
      4. Jesus revealed that true greatness in honor in God's kingdom comes by serving and selfless cost to address the needs of others, Mark 10:41-44.
      5. The ultimate example is Christ Himself: He was about to face incredible suffering and death on the cross to bear the sins to redeem the world, Mark 10:45!
Lesson: Our ambitions for achievement in Christian living must be modified away from what the world views as being glorious: (1) the world views what appeals to the eyes, the body and the pride of earthly life as being glorious, 1 John 2:16. (2) God views even facing unsavo ry works to meet the needs of others as glorious: these may include (a) being betrayed, (b) being slandered or condemned, (c) being verbally or physically abused or (d) even suffering martyrdom.

Illustration: My parents visited us a week ago and relayed the spiritual burdens others we know out West face with their maturing children's lives. A parent myself, I remember praying for God's help so that my children might walk with the Lord, no matter what career they entered and no matter what it cost to see them do so. Shortly after that prayer, Connie came down wi th her debilitating Chronic Fatigue illness. It's been a cross for her and for us, especially when a psychiatrist claimed that her illness came from suppressed anger in the whole family! But, according to Connie's own words, she feels she might not have walked with the Lord had she not thus become ill! Considering the alternative that other grieving parents we know experience, the result of illness in Connie's case has been a priceless divine blessing! God's way is by far the only way to go, even if its process involves a cross, for the result is rich blessing! I recommend it to all!