Well, I guess last week I broke a record in sermon length, somebody told me, more than a few people told me, and I said, well, what do you expect? It was the last hurrah before Sunday school, so I had to get all that in. I did write a shorter sermon looking at the time today. If everyone pays attention, it should go well. This morning I invite you to turn in Mark's Gospel to Mark chapter 10, Mark chapter 10. And we are continuing in this very rich section with the rich young ruler dealing with human pride and salvation. So it is really an extension of everything that we studied last week. And one of my personal, everyone says, what is your favorite text? Well, it's usually the one that I'm preaching. But if you had to press me, that section with the rich young ruler is such a glorious section to explain the whole way of salvation and what the Lord has come to do for us. And today we continue that great thought. So we begin at verse 32 of Mark chapter 10 this morning. Verse 32. And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed. And those who followed were afraid. And taking the 12 again, he began to tell them what was to happen to them, saying, See, we're going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will arise. And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you. And he said to them, what do you want me to do for you? And they said to him, grant us to sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your glory. Jesus said to them, you do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized? And they said to him, we are able. And Jesus said to them, the cup that I drink, you will drink. and with the baptism with which I am baptized you will be baptized but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant but is for those for whom it has been prepared and when the ten heard it they began to be indignant at James and John and Jesus called to them and said to them you know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their great ones exercise authority over them but it shall not be so among you but whoever would be great among you must be your servant and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all for even the son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many may the lord bless the hearing of his word one of the things that has been somewhat of a surprise to me in the ministry and it shouldn't because it's my own struggle but the way that people respond to the message of salvation by grace through faith alone a message that pastors are called to preach a message that they are called to give every time they proclaim and it's one of the greatest things that the messages that god has ever given uh from the heavens and sent down to us to give to messengers that he would provide and that he would accomplish everything that needs to be accomplished for you to enter into glory. The gospel of the Son of God, the eternal Son of God, becoming nothing for us and going to the cursed cross should be the most overwhelming announcement and message to hell-bound sinners. It should be. But as I said, it has surprised me how much opposition I've witnessed to it in the course of my life in ministry and i think about that i asked the question what why the opposition to good news why the opposition to gospel why does gospel preaching seem to raise to the bitterness raised to the surface a lot of bitterness in people's lives it's been a strange phenomenon for me that gospel preaching has actually raised bitterness i've really struggled with that Bitter people. Gospel preaching at times seems to do the opposite of what I would expect. People overjoyed running up to the house of the Lord to hear an announcement of love. People carrying their Bibles. People wanting to invite their neighbors. But instead, you see people bitter and running away from it constantly in the church. Well, I think we have that explained for us today. I think this really answers it today. Deep down, the whole thing rubs sinners wrong. Deeply. It ultimately comes down to the fact, and as we're learning here in Mark's gospel, that everything is taken away from us. All of our strength, all of ability, all human goodness, accomplishment, and we are essentially, as we just sung out, you've humbled all our pride. Not only has it been humbled, but we're made to be beggars. We're put in that kind of position. With hands stretched out to receive a kingdom, to receive a Savior. It's tough. It's tough for us. We can easily run around and say, I'm just saved by grace, saved by grace, saved by grace, and really live against that and not understand it or appreciate it. And that is what is before us this morning with the disciples. If we think that Christianity is about securing, as we've been looking throughout this long section, and it kind of is the end of this particular thought that Jesus is dealing with, this struggle in his disciples of a desire for greatness. You saw it again in the text. If it's redundant, there's a reason, by the way. But this struggle for greatness, if we think Christianity is about securing a great place for us in heaven by our own strength and our own abilities, you're never really going to connect with the Jesus and the message that he is bringing in the Scriptures. It'll just never really connect with you. It'll remain over here. And today we're brought back to Jesus with the plain and clear message that he has been driving home to his disciples. It's my cross. I must undergo and I must face it for you. I must do this for you. I'm accomplishing everything that needs to be done for you to have a place in my heaven, in my kingdom. And your life then becomes in that process a forfeiture of your old pursuits of greatness. That's done. In your own strength, in your own abilities. A follower of me who has accepted me and received me. And we've looked at all the implications of that in receiving children and all these messages. A follower who has received me is then going to be shaped like me. He's going to look a lot more like me in the course of his life. That's his path. And Jesus goes at it again today. Jesus hits at it hard again today, telling us that this is a great struggle for us. This is a real struggle for us that we would understand again what he, at least begin to appreciate what he had to undergo for us, why he had to do it, and what that then is going to look like in the course of one's life, who's accepted that, received that, and how their life becomes a life of a servant, of loving their neighbor. There are three ways that I believe we can break this down this morning. It could be captured again with this emphasis on greatness. And you see it in this desire for greatness, So you could break down the text and say, we have greatness pursued by Jesus, greatness refused by the disciples, and then you have greatness explained to set it all correctly. So greatness pursued, greatness refused, and greatness explained. In the previous section, and you know, Jesus had been approached by this rich young ruler who had come running to Jesus in his own strength and had asked Jesus a crucial question. I made the distinction. I think it's going to be immensely helpful for this morning that he was not asking to be saved. He had no concept of that. He didn't have any idea of what salvation was. He was asking to obtain eternal life. Good teacher. And then come the verbs. What shall I do to inherit eternal life? It's glaring. Mark wants you to see it. The most prominent, the most successful, one of the richest men, a model citizen, a model person in Israel, everyone looked up to this guy, a good moral guy, everyone you would say, wow, that's the one who would, if anyone had the ability to do it, he would be it. wanted the assurance, now think about this, wanted to obtain the assurance that of his status and glory, he wanted assurance that he would get there, how he could do that and obtain that assurance through human work and human ingenuity and human strength himself. He wanted assurance that he would secure and have his seat in heaven. That's what he was asking for. It's all about position. It's all about status. That's what this has been all about this time. What do I do to get my reservation? Tell me. Jesus threw the book at him, didn't he? Well, you know the law. You're not asking for salvation, which would mean you need to come to me and believe. And we know what Jesus has been teaching about who he is. He doesn't see that. Well, you know, if you want eternal life and you think you can do it yourself, here's the law. And Jesus laid before him the rigor of the law. He laid before him as I was praying. I hope you felt that this morning to some degree of how we break these Ten Commandments. And he set this in front of the rich young ruler and he comes back and he says, I did it. I've done it all. And then Jesus just drives it home. Really? Well, let's just go after the one area that I know, which proves he's reading hearts and he's truly God. The one area that I know where you're falling really short. Asking for this, then he drove it home by saying, go sell all that you have and give to the poor. And the text says that he loved his possessions, which was a contrast because he should have loved Jesus. He was asking for eternal life, not salvation. What did he need to be saved from? He had no concept of that. Eternal life to get there. And Jesus says, well, God requires perfect obedience. If you want to try that path, here it is. And he walked away sad. He couldn't cut it. Jesus, thrusting that right into him, exposed before the disciples who are in training, it's an absolute impossibility for humanity and humans to achieve God's standard now because of the fall, because of sin. We looked at all this, and that is why he walked away sad, and we should have witnessed in that us. We can't keep the standard. The best was put in front of Jesus and couldn't do it. The best. Now, I know that we could hear all of that after last week and still think, well, maybe that's what he's requiring of me. That I go out there and sell my possessions and give to the poor and, of course, sell everything that I have and do that. Maybe that's the standard and you'd be missing the point. Eternal life is completely out of reach to sinners. It's completely out of reach. And I raise that because the disciples still have not grasped it. Deja vu, they say all over again. They had begun to ask the right question. Who can be saved? Notice that question. Different from how do I get eternal life? Who can be saved? We need to be saved. And Jesus then went on to say something so beautiful that with man it's impossible, but not with God. With God all things are possible. so crucial for today now god possible man impossible so they head out on the road again and that leads us to where we are mark says they were heading in one direction jerusalem we read that jesus was going before them and the imagery that you should have is he is on a mission he knows right where he's going but mark captures responses to this mark says there's a mixture in the disciples of amazement but also fear we know that because jesus is heading right into the center of all opposition jesus is heading into pharisee central jesus is heading into the greatest opposition he can he is set there and we know why he's set to go there he is going to that cross his face is purposely set on golgotha he will be there this is why he's come and he's going to fulfill it but if you don't understand why of course for the disciples this makes no sense why would he do this that's amazement does he know what's going to happen to him thus fear this is in their heads now it's at this moment that we have the third and final prediction of jesus death on the cross and it's the most detailed of all of them jesus takes them aside one last time and begins to explain everything that would happen listen to his words they're the most detailed and fascinating um we know this and we've read this so much but but think if you if you can of hearing this for the first time we are going up to jerusalem See, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn Him to death and deliver Him over to the Gentiles. They will mock Him and spit on Him and flog Him and kill Him. And after three days, He will arise. Dear disciples, here's what's going to happen to me. We're going to enter into Jerusalem. And when you get there and we get there, you're going to watch me die. You are going to watch your Lord die. They're going to take me. They're going to mock me. They're going to put, and we know what that's going to look like, they're going to put a purple robe on me. They're going to put a crown of thorns on me. They're going to get in a mock coronation, soldiers. They're going to walk around and punch me in the face. Peter, you'll see that. Then they're going to take that cruel instrument of Roman punishment, the whip, and they're going to scourge me. And just like any other common criminal, it's going to rip into me and I will bleed. They will spit on me. They will give me the most ridicule you've seen. And then they will kill me. I will get the cruel death of a criminal sentenced to go to the cross and then you're going to see me pinned to it. And I will suffer. And we know the wrath of God upon His body and soul. And after all that, all rise. I don't know if you picked it up. The question of just asked of Jesus by the rich young ruler is what does one need to do to inherit eternal life? It's a really important question. If you can't do the law, then the breaking of the law needs to be paid for. This is all what you're going to go learn, boys and girls, in your classes this year if you're studying what we believe. This is what Jesus just described. So what we really have in front of us is the true rich young ruler. The true rich young ruler, the one who had everything, the one who had all riches, who was rich, and is here presented as not pursuing any greatness at all for himself, who had set aside all of that glory and riches, and has become an absolute nobody, and think of who this is, to come and do and inherit eternal life for those who simply can't. and on their end they have to recognize they need to be saved but for those who have failed to do it it has to be done and inherited gospel gospel this is why he's here this is why he came this is what the message is all about it's about a message of a cross because he had just exposed to us and this should you should feel the weight of this that the best of the world the best of the world missed the mark far and broke the law well here's why he must go but the true path of greatness is this path and then glory isn't it something you can't keep the law you can't work to inherit it. And I had a dear saint come up to me after last week's sermon and said, Pastor, if I had to sell everything and give to the poor, I couldn't do it. Couldn't do it. I can't even imagine if that were asked of me. And I said, well, then the law did its work, didn't it? The law did its work. You've realized and were confronted with your own utter inability for the standard. Praise the Lord that Jesus laid it all aside for you. See? Praise the Lord that he came who was rich and became poor to lay it all aside and go do that for you. That's the message. Now you'd think the disciples would get this by now? After saying this, look what happens. That path of greatness is flat out refused. Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him saying, Teacher, we want us, we want you to do for us whatever we ask. Dangerous question, dangerous thing to say. You never get backed into a corner like that, right? Can you imagine that? We want you to do whatever we ask. What are you asking me? Grant us that we may sit one on your right hand, right, left. Right hand, one on your left in glory. Let me say this a little better for you. Would you reserve our seats when you finally get there? Can you give us the front row, Joes? We're not really interested in this cross. I think of what he just said. We're not too interested in this cross thing. But if it has to happen for you to get there, because we saw the transfiguration, we saw what the glory looked like, if it has to happen for you to get there, Would you give us the two best seats when you do? Isn't this something? You know where the last seats are to fill up the worship of God are? You all know, and you're laughing because it's right here. You guys did well this morning. If this were a concert, if this were a show, we'd all vie for these seats. Billy Joel just sang at Petco Park recently. Do you know the whole thing sold out in 45 seconds? You could get a front row ticket for about $2,500. Billy. Concerts get that. Church just isn't that exciting, is it? You could try to do it. It's just not that exciting. Our best church concerts would never sell one ticket. Billy gets $2,500. We have a message of free grace of a Savior who came here. bloody, under the law, who can save you from hell. Not too exciting. Not too exciting. On a basic level, we can't even get our kids interested in science and math. Why? There's no glory in it. But score a touchdown? That's something to talk about. Stop talking cross, Lord! Stop! here's what we're interested in when we finally get there. We want the best seat. That's an exposure of where the heart is right now. So we'll ride toward the rear on this cross stuff, fighting with you on it the whole way, but once glory comes, we want the shotgun. We want the best seat. Would you do it then? Unbelievable, isn't it? Oh, or is it? The rich young ruler had come to Jesus wanting the same thing. How can I secure my position in heaven? I'll do it. Really? Go give everything to the poor. Sell everything. Lose your status. Become absolutely nothing. Then come. Can't do it. It's a disciple's problem. Here are the disciples. Well, we have left all. I'm going to address this section last time if you look back up. We have left all. We have followed. Remember that? what do we get? I'll do it. We've done it. Really? Surely I say to you, remember what Jesus said, there's no one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospels who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time. Yes, there's rewards. I'm going to give you rewards. It's going to be great. Then he repeats it. Now listen, listen to what he does. Houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, lands, all good. But then he added one thing. With persecutions. With that, then will come eternal life in me. But you see, many who want to be first are going to be last, and the last will be first. You're missing this. With persecution? I'll put this together. Lord, would you secure the seat for us? What does that tell you? Their following is all still about position and status and glory. This is what the fight is going to be about here in a minute among the disciples. They've been fighting for glory. They're working hard to secure it in the future. They want glory now and in the future. Future glory is there. It's going to be there for them. But do you see the problem here? This is us. And I would say this is why for many the preaching of the cross has no effect or no meaning in their life. They don't even connect with it. Because when that is done, it is constantly assaulting the aspirations, the dreams, the glory, the name, the honor, the prestige, the riches. Everything that is for the now, it is assaulting in us. And we just can't deal with that. I want to sit on the lazy boy now and then ride on in with my glass of wine to the best seat in the kingdom. That's why the malarkey on the Christian book sells. Because they're all promising you that. And it's not that Jesus wants to make your life harder. It's just that we are not different and not following a different path than our master. He constantly was saying this. Prosperous, affluent people whose hearts are set on glory in the now don't connect with a cross. That's the message here. That's why I was trying to say when there are certain approaches to God that happen, they are by necessity inconsistent with a message of a cross. What we do has to be consistent. But notice how Jesus and His disciples are talking right past each other here. They're going right past each other. I'm about to die. I'm about to suffer the torments of the cross. Can you secure the cushions for us now? And I use that because Martin Luther has a great quote to that effect. The head is not going to the cross while his saints ride on cushions. This is what we were looking at when I said the rich young ruler and Jesus weren't even on the same page. Jesus had come to save sinners from their sins. The rich young ruler had come to save himself for eternal life, to do it himself. But what drives the disconnect with the disciples? This is a little bit different because they have now asked the question, who can be saved? They're not asking, what do we do to get eternal life? They're saying, how can we be saved? Who then can be saved? They're starting to understand it is salvation. What's the disconnect then? I think you have it in what follows. Jesus hears this and says, you don't know what you're asking. In other words, you're not grasping what I'm saying to you. And that has produced this kind of question that has brought you and taken you so far from everything that I'm saying to you. It's not a lack of Jesus being unclear here. One pastor said, it's the simple words of Jesus that are the most difficult. It's the simple words of Jesus that are the most difficult. Not because they're not clear, but because we don't want to receive them. Jesus says, are you able to drink the cup that I drink and be baptized with the baptism that I'm baptized with? Jesus is speaking of his death on the cross. The cup is symbolic, even throughout the Old Testament, of drinking the cup of wrath, of God's wrath, and baptism, a metaphor here for death judgment that he has to undergo. Are you able to do that? It says, ask Jesus, are you able? That might be one of the most important questions that we could ever be asked in life. Are you able to save yourself? When the rich young ruler was told the standard to eternal life, which was perfect obedience to the law of God, what was his answer? I can and I have. That was ended quickly. So think of the next question. How then are we saved? Are you able to pay for sins? are you able to pay it the standard of course was perfect obedience to the law but but uh notice here when he's talking about the the payment of a death on the cross he's talking about drinking wrath now that falls should have fallen on us can you do that can you can you keep the standard but then can you pay the penalty for what you've broken ready we're able we can do it it i don't think they have a clue what they're talking about but i do know it's a human nature problem to hold on to us i don't think anyone to this day has a clue as to the depths of what jesus faced on that cross i don't think anyone has a clue if you did you'd be in the front row and i'm not saying that to attack anyone in the back what i'm saying is this would be a great priority, wouldn't it? And I say this to me, I struggle with all the same things. But it's a remarkable study in human nature, isn't it? It's a painful irony. I can do it, but I want to do it on my terms. I can do it, but I want to do it on my terms. Jesus, you're making Christianity about what you want, but we want to make Christianity about what we want. And that's the irony of it they have confidence in themselves that they can do it while actually having done nothing their whole life to do it they want to do it themselves but what have they done so even if even if we granted that good work saved you somewhat somehow just a little just imagine if we granted that for a moment that your good works could save you if you could it would be doing on your terms that's the problem and christianity would end up just like this eat drink and be merry for tomorrow or there and isn't that how people think it's a peculiarly religious problem on the one hand you can have somebody who has no concept of sin think that they can get eternal life by keeping the standard of the law but on the other hand you can have people who like the disciples realize they need to be saved but we need to be saved everyone in this room i trust believes you need to be saved i believe i need to be saved from the wrath of god because of my sin but when push comes to shove and the gruesome nature of the cross is preached what creates such a disconnect and a general apathy in the course of our own lives and in my life or even a rejection of it in so-called believers i suggest it's this like the disciples you've had all kinds of special privileges you've been baptized you've been with jesus for a long time you've left all you followed you've given a lot of your life to the church you're running around doing all kinds of stuff and service and involvement you're doing a lot in the kingdom and there is there not in all of that a sense that we've done something to get our seat and the the real rub comes when you're on your deathbed and then you have saints who all their life have struggled with that and then they realize I haven't done enough. And you know how many pastors have said that? That they've had that experience with people? I don't want any of you to say that. Somebody else did enough. But when we don't let go of a Christianity that's all about us, we're going to have a major problem and that's why Jesus is speaking in a language they purposely don't want to hear. But isn't it wonderful? Can I get to really good news now? Think about this. Jesus is speaking of a Christianity where he's come to do it all for them and how that will completely change everything about them. Killing them, raising them new. Once we realize that we've fallen so far short of the glory of God, Isn't that the best news ever for you? Think about it. Isn't that the best news ever for you? That Jesus came here to keep the law of what nobody could do and merit and earn eternal life for you and then take the cross to save and pay your debt so that you only with childlike faith have to say, I receive it. That's all he's saying to you. It's wonderful. I'm that messed up. And that's what my Savior's offering to me. It's too good to be true, isn't it? We can do it. I don't know whether Mark wants us more astonished at the hardness of their hearts or the longsuffering of our Lord. I really don't. I'm just torn by it. I thought about, what do I do? What do I spend more time on here? Time. I don't know. But I know we should really feel the longsuffering of our Lord. And isn't that encouraging? Look at these bumbling, sorry, idiots. And he loves them. So as soon as Jesus hears them say we're able, he says you will indeed, listen to this statement. So surprising, isn't it? You will indeed drink the cup that I drink and with the baptism I'm baptized with, you will be baptized. What he just said is you're going to learn real quickly what it means to be identified with me. You're in union with me. You're going to learn real quickly what it means to be identified with my death and my cross. Your whole path will show it. I've got that for you. But, I need to correct something. To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but this is the point of it. It is for those for whom it is prepared. You receive a kingdom. It's prepared for you. You will be seated on a throne. We know we're going to be seated on thrones. But it's all prepared. I go to prepare a place for you. And I'm going to come back and take you there. Your actions, don't ever alter that. You don't add to that. You don't change that. I prepare it for you. Wow. And that leads us to greatness explained. It gets back to the tent. James and John had positioned themselves around the rest. They all get mad. They are thinking, how could these guys? Well, maybe they're getting ahead of us. They weren't mad because it was an offense to Jesus. They're mad because they had stepped out in front of the rest of them. And Jesus now addresses what he said earlier about their path and their persecution and their struggle and what they have to face in this life. You know, said Jesus, he called them aside and he said, Listen, you know that those who, the rulers of the Gentiles, you know what they do. They lord it over each other and they're great ones to exercise authority and get into number one. You want to know what it looks like? Just look at Donald Trump and Hillary. You see it. It's what they're doing. It's dog-eat-dog out there. It's what Gentiles do. You know there's nothing but a power push going on in the world and that rulers are vying for number one. And once they get to number one, you know what they do. You know what they're like. You know how they force that submission and authority. Just read the history book. Not so among you. Whoever wants to be great among you, you're going to take on the path of a servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be a slave of all. Here's the path for you. Your path to glory is a path of becoming a servant. When you become a servant, it's not about you anymore. It's not about I don't like this. I mean, we've said this over. I don't like this. I don't like this. Just moany attitude. It's not about that. First, you're going to start hearing the message. Wow. It finally gets into the heart. And then you're going to want to take on the path of a servant because that's what you're called to. your path will begin to look like mine, says Jesus. No, you're not paying for your sins. I did all that already. I saved you. But now you are going to exhibit that in the course of your own lives. Because I'm going, you see, to give. My life is a ransom for many. I'm going to prepare it and give them. I'm purchasing a multitude no man can number. But until we grasp this, we'll never connect or understand what Christianity is all about. Deep down, the message will disgust us because there's no Billy Joel factor in it. It's not that exciting. It is if you know what you are. It is if you know that you're headed for hell and that this Savior came to pay it all. And when you accept that, when you accept that I became that for you and became nothing, you'll then understand what it now will begin to look like in you by the grace that I give you. Isn't this wonderful? He came to do. And that's why he said with God, this is possible. He is God. He is God. And he wants you simply to receive him with childlike faith. His little children running around who believe what you tell them. And receive his kingdom. And receive him as your Savior. Loves you. be patient we're all not there yet we're going to be going along the way as a church struggling with servanthood struggling with serving struggling even with worship at times because of this that's okay that's part of it but we're going to begin to look like this and in that case you're just going to be thankful when this is finally taken hold of you. You're going to be thankful just to be here. That'll be the first thing that begins to happen. To receive a kingdom and you say, you know what? I'm so excited. The first seat for me is just to be a doorkeeper in that house, sir. I'll just be a doorkeeper. That's the number one seat. That's the number one place. I hope that's encouraged you today because we've got to get to Sunday school. Let's pray. Gracious Heavenly Father, I'm so thankful for a glorious word of gospel today to us. And we all confess our selfishness and confess ultimately, first and foremost, we simply need to receive your message. But it's so wonderful that it takes the removal of stony hearts and to receive it with childlike faith. And help us to be patient with one another. We're not all in the same place. We're all in different places and we all struggle with selfishness. May that patience be shown, but also may we remember what You call us to be and may in our leaders, elders and deacons, it be exemplified the most. That's why that standard has to be so high. Thank You, Father, and help us. And we tremble saying this because we're not sufficient for these things. Nobody is. Forgive us for our sins. May our sufficiency be in Jesus and help us as a church to be united and become servants. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.