The Evident Pride of the Disciples – Part 1
Luke 9:46-56 (46-48)
November 25, 2018
We are currently in the middle of a section in Luke’s gospel
Where Jesus is trying to REPROGRAM the disciples.
We have called it “Messianic Misconceptions”
In short, the disciples didn’t get it.
• They had wrong thinking about the Messiah
• They had wrong thinking about what it meant to follow the Messiah
• Jesus has been correcting those misconceptions.
What I want to specifically remind you of this morning
As we get going was that first requirement Jesus gave
For any who would follow Him.
You’ll remember after revealing the necessity of His own suffering and death, JESUS WENT ON TO SAY:
Luke 9:23 “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
I’m not going to rehash that text here, since we just looked at it a few weeks ago,
But I simply want to remind you again that
The first requirement for following Jesus was SELF-DENIAL.
We talked about it as DISOWNING yourself.
Disciples aren’t determined through competition.
• You can’t bring your resume to Jesus proving why you deserve to be a
follower.
• It’s not a Bible-drill tournament or a missionary miles traveled competition.
Regardless of the good you think you’ve done,
The chief requirement is for you to burn your resume
And let go of all you spiritual collateral.
In the beatitudes it is stated like this:
Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
It is that reminder that it is not the spiritually rich who inherit heaven,
But the spiritually bankrupt.
That is to say you will not enter the kingdom of heaven
• Until you understand that you have nothing that qualifies you to enter it.
• Until you realize that all your currency and all your experience and all your
morality is of no value then you are not yet ready to enter.
Denial of self is required.
The reason is because what you view as valuable spiritual collateral,
The LORD views as filthy rags.
God won’t accept it.
Let it go and follow Christ.
AND THIS IS SO FOUNDATIONAL, AND YET SO FORGOTTEN.
I’m not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the line
SELF-ESTEEM BECAME A VIRTUE.
I hear it all the time, “We need to build their self-esteem”, “They just think too low of themselves”
I even hear Christian music with lyrics like “You can’t love if you don’t love yourself.”
Self-esteem, and self-love, even having pride in oneself
Have all become positive qualities in our world.
• Teach people to love themselves for who they are
• Teach people to have a high self-esteem
• Teach people how valuable they are
It’s all been part of the educational system
Because PSYCHOLOGY HAS TOLD US that a high self-esteem
Is important to make successful individuals.
And indeed even at this moment
You may already be engaged in a mental debate with me
Because you can sense that I’m about to disagree with the status quo.
In my Bible it says that if people want to be disciples of Jesus
The first requirement is not that they esteem self or love self or promote self or value self but that they deny self.
THE ENTIRE PREMISE that self-esteem is a good thing
Is built upon the foundation that there is good in every individual
Which must be acknowledged and celebrated.
And yet my Bible again tells me:
Romans 3:10-12 “as it is written, “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.”
The fact of the matter is that
• If you have never reached a point of humility or brokenness or honesty regarding your sinful nature
• Or even some semblance of spiritual depression regarding what you are,
• Then you have yet to understand the message of the gospel.
GOD DOES NOT SAVE MEN BECAUSE THEY ARE GOOD.
GOD SAVES MEN BECAUSE HE IS GOOD.
Do we need to revisit it again?
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”
Or perhaps we need to remember:
Romans 5:6-8 “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Or Paul’s statement:
1 Timothy 1:15 “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.”
HOPEFULLY YOU GET THE POINT.
• The goal is not to teach people to love themselves more.
• The goal is not to teach people to esteem themselves more.
• The goal is to reveal to people that in and of themselves they have incurred nothing but wrath and are in need of the righteousness which only Christ can provide them.
Humility is absolutely essential to salvation.
How many times have we read:
Matthew 23:12 “Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”
1 Peter 5:5b “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
I just want to remind you again that denial of self is essential.
Humility is essential.
Being poor in spirit is essential
If you don’t have those qualities
You are not ready to enter the kingdom of heaven.
I sincerely hope you grasp that.
But THIS MORNING we want to move forward
And stretch our understanding of that just a little.
This morning I can begin by telling you that
THE DISCIPLES HAD YET TO LEARN THAT.
(They had heard it, they just didn’t believe it yet)
And of course there have already been indicators to that extent.
• Peter’s arguing with Jesus about the cross revealed Peter’s lingering pride.
• Peter speaking up on the mountain revealed Peter’s dwelling arrogance
• The disciples entering Jesus in that demon battle in direct violation of Jesus’ teaching reveals their arrogance.
They still have a lot to learn in regard to what it means to deny self.
And this morning we begin a passage that demonstrates that.
If you were to ask: WHAT DOES AN ARROGANT PERSON LOOK LIKE?
• Or: How do you spot someone who has not yet denied self?
• Or: How can I know if I have denied myself or not?
This segment of Scripture can give you the answer.
HERE IN THIS SEGMENT
• We have 3 in which the disciples earn a rebuke from Jesus.
• We have 3 instances in which they demonstrate that their love of self was still
present.
• We have 3 instances with demonstrate that they still valued who they were and
what they had done.
They had not yet reached the necessary place of self-denial,
Or that poor in spirit humility that Jesus required.
AND IN THIS TEXT WE’LL SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE
The disciples reveal their lingering love of self in 3 ways.
WE’LL LOOK AT THE FIRST ONE THIS MORNING
#1 THEIR DISDAIN FOR THE LEAST
Luke 9:46-48
Now I will tell you from the outset here that
This is another one of those sections
Where Luke omits much of the information.
Matthew and Mark will fill in the scene in here much fuller regarding the entire conversation.
The reason Luke is brief
• Is NOT because he is trying to keep you from knowing the whole story;
• Rather Luke merely emphasizes the point of the story that he most wants you to see.
And that clearly here was the disciples disdain
For those whom they deemed less valuable.
Now saying that, we’re not above cross-referencing so as to get the whole story,
WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE LAND ON LUKE’S POINT.
But we simply read in verse 46 “An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.”
Very interesting.
John MacArthur commented:
“They were still focused on the crown instead of the cross; on the glory, not the suffering. Still anticipating the imminent arrival of the kingdom, an argument started among them as to their place in it. Ironically, while Jesus spoke of His personal suffering, they argued about their personal glory.”
(MacArthur, John [The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Series: Luke 1-9; Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL; 2011] pg. 301)
We go on to read in verse 47 “But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side,”
We can look at the other accounts and fill this in a little fuller.
When you look at Matthew’s gospel we find that
• After the incident with the demon,
• Jesus and His disciples traveled to Capernaum.
• While in Capernaum someone there approached Peter as to whether or not
Jesus paid taxes, Peter wasn’t sure, so when he asked Jesus that is when
Jesus told him to catch a fish with a shekel in its mouth and go pay their tax.
This was done to keep from being an offense.
And then when you get into Matthew 18 we read:
(18:1) “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
So from Matthew’s account the 12 approached Jesus with the question.
When you read Mark’s gospel we read:
Mark 9:33-35 “They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, “What were you discussing on the way?” But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
You put all of that together and you find what occurred.
• As the disciples were leaving the bout with the demon which we studied last
week, they got into an argument as to who was the greatest.
• Jesus knew what they were arguing about because He knew their heart, and
so He put them on the spot asking them what they were debating?
• No one wanted to answer at first, but eventually one of them did speak up and
ask “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
So let all of that sink in,
Because I don’t think it’s hard to fill in the gaps of this story.
A WEEK TO 10 DAYS AGO
• Jesus asked that infamous question, “But who do you say that I am?”
• If you’ll remember it was Peter who answered, “You are the Christ of God”
And Matthew’s gospel says that Jesus immediately commended Peter saying:
Matthew 16:17-19 “And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”
I don’t think it’s hard to see where a statement like that
Might have gone to Peter’s head.
Of course just a few moments later Jesus is going to call Peter “Satan”
For trying to be a stumbling block to Jesus.
If you travel forward you know that
• Jesus had promised to show the kingdom to some of them before they died
• And He did that with 3 of them: Peter, John, and James.
• The other 9 did not get to go.
• Instead, the other 9 where in a fight with a demon and it was said that they could not cast it out because their faith was too little.
And so with all of that having occurred in the last week and a half
I don’t think the argument is that far-fetched.
• Can’t you hear Peter, James and John wanting to know what the problem was with the 9’s inability?
• Can’t you hear Peter saying, “I could’ve done it.”?
• Or perhaps you have Peter, James, and John walking separately from the other 9 now considering themselves to be elite since they had seen the glory of Jesus.
• And maybe one of the other 9 calls them on it, “You’re not any better than us…”
I don’t know how it played out, but it’s not hard to see a scenario
In which they began to try to rank
Who was the most important among them.
And that in and of itself is problem enough.
It is the very essence of pride and arrogance
To try and rank yourself as more important than someone else.
THAT IS NOTHING BUT FOOLISHNESS.
And if you read Matthew’s gospel Jesus addresses that.
Matthew 18:3-4 “and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Mark 9:35 “Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, “If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.”
Jesus would indeed remind them that
The very notion of considering yourself greater than someone else
Is arrogance which prohibits entry into the kingdom.
BUT LUKE DOESN’T INCLUDE THAT STATEMENT.
The issue Luke really zeros in on is what this argument said
About what the disciples thought about other people.
MATTHEW’S GOSPEL REVEALS that Jesus tells the disciples that in order to enter the kingdom they needed to become like children.
MARK’S GOSPEL REVEALS that they need to be a servant of all if they want to be great.
Luke doesn’t include that.
Luke is focused instead on this one statement from the Lord.
(47-48) “But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
SO FOLLOW ME NOW.
Matthew and Mark both focus on Jesus measuring humility
BY THE ROLE YOU EMBRACE.
(i.e. Matthew said, be a child, Mark said, be a servant)
But Luke focuses solely on Jesus measuring humility
BY THE PERSON YOU RECEIVE.
IT’S ALL ABOUT WHO YOU RECEIVE.
And in this case, Jesus uses a child.
“But Jesus…took a child and stood him by His side, and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
Now pay attention.
• Jesus took a child and said if you receive this child then you what? (Receive Me)
• If you receive Me, then you what? (Receive the Father)
So, if you don’t receive this child, then you don’t receive Jesus,
And consequently you don’t receive the Father.
Does that make sense?
Matthew 25:40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”
SO WHY A CHILD?
Many at this point try to draw the analogy to “child-like” faith.
And that is an analogy to be made, but NOT HERE.
Jesus here chose a child for one reason.
In that room, that child was the most insignificant person there.
Socially – Financially – Politically – Ministerially – Skillfully
If faced with a dilemma no one in that room
Would have turned to that child for the answer.
SO FOLLOW THE STORY:
The disciples want to know which among them is the greatest
And Jesus says the one who receives this child in My name.
NOW WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THAT?
Well, look at it like this.
• The disciples had just gotten into an argument as to which was the greatest
• Obviously then they believe that some believers are more important than
others
• And since they argued who was greatest that tells us that they didn’t think
much of those considered least.
Now we don’t know their specific criteria.
That is to say, we don’t know if they measured greatness in terms of intellect or physical strength or faith or financial savvy.
We just know that they thought some were more important than others,
And their argument revealed that they didn’t think much
Of those who would be considered least.
If I start arguing this morning that I am the greatest preacher in this room,
• And then I start pointing out who else in here are good teachers,
• And then I start putting all the good teachers on one side, what have you
learned?
1) I think greatness is measured by ability to teach or preach
2) If you don’t teach or preach then I don’t think you’re very important
(or use “giving” as a criteria, it doesn’t matter)
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
That’s what the disciples were doing.
THAT IS HUMAN PRIDE.
And Jesus addresses it by saying, “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me”
That is to say,
“If you can’t understand that the least among believers is just as important as the greatest among believers then you don’t understand anything about what it means to be saved at all.”
In fact Jesus goes on to say “for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great.”
WHY IS THAT TRUE?
Because human ranking means absolutely nothing.
We could go back to that passage in Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 1:26 “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble;”
No believer was chosen because they were more valuable or more usable.
In fact Paul would go on to say:
1 Corinthians 1:27-29 “but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”
Believers aren’t chosen because they are valuable human beings.
They are chosen because they aren’t.
So do you see how foolish it is for them to get into an argument as to which of them is the greatest?
IT’S PURE ARROGANT STUPIDITY!
To assume that I am more important to Christ than someone else
Is only evidence that I’ve never understood how little value I have.
It is only evidence that I am not poor in spirit.
The fact that the disciples could even argue about their greatness
REVEALS THAT THEY STILL HAD SO MUCH PRIDE LEFT INTACT.
And so HERE’S YOUR FIRST MEASURING STICK
About where you stand regarding your own level of self-denial.
DO YOU THINK YOURSELF
TO BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHER BELIEVERS?
To ask another way: Do you have disdain for believers that you think aren’t as important as you?
And we need to discuss the foolishness in that.
Let’s say we are talking about the least among believers.
Let’s say that in your mind you have someone picked out as the “least” among us. The most expendable person here.
Let’s say you have that person picked out.
Now, thinking of that person,
Let’s examine what the Bible says about them, even as the least.
We’ve already read twice that passage in 1 Corinthians that God choose the least, but let’s add another.
Colossians 3:12 “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;”
Paul identifies all believers there.
How does he identify them?
“as those who have been chosen of God”
So, even as the least among us, they are still the “chosen of God”
1) GOD CHOSE THEM.
1 Peter 1:17-19 “If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
After choosing them, we find here the price of redemption
Which God paid for them.
They were “redeemed…with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 6:20 “For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
So not only did God choose them, but…
2) GOD REDEEMED THEM AT A HIGH PRICE
That’s even the least important person in here.
Colossians 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
There’s several things there we see.
• God made us alive,
• God forgave us all our transgression,
• God canceled out our debt.
All of that speaks of forgiveness.
AND THIS IS DONE FOR ALL BELIEVERS.
So even for the least, God chose them, God redeemed them at a high price, and…
3) GOD FORGAVE THEM
We go on:
Romans 8:16-17 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”
Galatians 3:28-29 “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”
What do we learn there?
4) GOD HAS MADE THEM ETERNAL HEIRS
When the inheritance is divvied out, they’re getting the same thing you get.
Or how about:
1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?”
Are you kidding me?
5) GOD PLACED HIS SPIRIT IN THEM
They have the same Spirit as you.
Even as the least, they received the same Spirit
And they are just as much a temple of God as you are.
We read:
1 Corinthians 6:17 “But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”
All believers are joined to the Lord. (i.e. married to Him)
6) THEY ARE THE BRIDE OF CHRIST
Even the least among you is married to Christ.
Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;”
7) THEY ARE CITIZENS OF HEAVEN
They have the same spiritual passport that you have.
1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.”
Look at that phrase “a royal priesthood”
8) THEY HAVE UNHINDERED ACCESS TO GOD
It’s not like you can go behind the veil and they can’t.
They can draw just as near to God as you can.
2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”
9) THEY ARE ALSO AMBASSADOR’S FOR GOD
He hasn’t just entrusted His message to you, He has given it to them as well.
They have just as much authority as you do.
Romans 8:16 “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,”
10) THEY ARE GOD’S CHILD
1 Corinthians 3:9 “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”
11) THEY ARE GOD’S BUILDING
(They are what He is building)
Now, that’s just a few, but let that sink in.
Even the “least” important person in this room
• Is God’s child, God’s heir, God’s temple, God’s priest, God’s ambassador, Christ’s bride.
• They are chosen, forgiven, redeemed, and citizens of heaven.
NOW TELL ME AGAIN
Why you think you are more important to God than they are.
CAN I GO A STEP FURTHER
And point out to you how important even the least is to God?
Matthew includes more of the sermon of Jesus and he writes:
Matthew 18:10-14 “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven. [” For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.] “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? “If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”
According to Matthew the Lord values even the least so much
That He would effectively leave the 99 to go and find it if it were lost.
What does that tell you about His view of who is expendable?
(No one)
Has He not said:
John 6:39 “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”
There are no classes, they are all valuable to Christ.
DO YOU SEE THAT?
But the disciples were disdaining “the least” as less important
AND JESUS REBUKES THEM.
If you can look at the “least” among believers and disregard them,
Then you are disregarding Me and the Father
Because we have chosen them, forgiven them, purchased them, and made them heirs of our kingdom.
IF YOU DON’T VALUE THEM THEN YOU DON’T VALUE US.
The tragedy is that this is such a struggle among believers.
Consider the early church.
The Jewish believers had a very difficult time welcoming in Gentile believers as fellow heirs of grace.
Remember when Peter went to Cornelius’ house?
Acts 11:1-3 “Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
But here was Peter’s response:
Acts 11:15-18 “And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as He did upon us at the beginning. “And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ “Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as He gave to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”
Even later during a debate about circumcision, here’s what Peter said:
Acts 15:8-11 “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
Peter was saying,
“How can we value someone less whom God has valued equally?”
If you are able to look at other believers who have been redeemed
And still view yourself as more important than them,
Then obviously you have not yet come to understand how worthless you are without Christ.
It is obvious that you have yet to grasp
What it means to be poor in spirit or humble or to deny self.
You must still think that in some way your talents or abilities or net worth
Make you more important than some other believers.
Philippians 2:1-8 “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Now there is the example of self-denial we have been looking for.
And Paul says, “do that”.
Jesus did not value His own high standing,
But relinquished it and became one of us that He might redeem us.
And Paul says, “There’s your example.”
Stop viewing yourself as so important…
Stop ranking yourself as above others…
“but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.”
That’s the mark of a person who has denied self.
That’s the mark of a humble person.
So, the disciples first show their lack of self-denial in
THEIR DISDAIN FOR THE LEAST
So what about you?
• Are you more important?
• Is it more important that the church does things your way over someone else’s?
• Would we be better off offending anyone else but you?
• Should the church recognize that we had better learn to stroke your ego because without you this whole thing would collapse?
Or are you just grateful to be here and be a part of God’s redeemed?
JUST HOW MUCH DO YOU ESTEEM YOURSELF?
That’s the question,
And the answer is seen in how much you esteem others.
That’s the first test, there are two more here with the disciples.
