I invite you to turn in the Scriptures this morning to the Gospel of Mark as we continue our study in Mark. And we come this morning to chapter 9, found on page 1075 in your pew Bibles. Mark, and we will be reading verses 30 through 37. 30 through 37 of Mark chapter 9, 1075. This is the word of the Lord beginning at verse 30 of Mark 9. They went on from there and passed through Galilee, and he did not want anyone to know. For he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise. But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. and they came to Capernaum and when he was in the house he asked them what were you discussing on the way but they kept silent for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest 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 and he took a child and put him in the midst of them and taking him in his arms he said to them whoever receives one such child in my name receives me and whoever receives me receives not me but him who sent me may the lord bless this morning the hearing of his gospel we of course live in a day where we are starstruck by personalities and personalities the more eccentric, the more outlandish, the more against the status quo you can be, you will gain a following. You will have a big following. Look at Hollywood. Is there anything anymore known as a normal actor? What does that even look like, a normal actor? We are drawn to, in society, the most extreme of personalities and the person who can make the crudest of jokes the person who has the most wow factor the person who dresses the most provocatively the one who stands out from the crowd the one who can do that the most is the one who gets in our society the greatest paycheck you know that's true don't you and these become sadly our role models in society hollywood has dominated what is a role miles role models sports figures have dominated what is to be considered in our society a role model when i was a kid we all ran around with the t-shirts and the shorts and the shoes be like mike michael jordan everyone wanted to to be like mike and all of us were practicing as moves all of us were learning as crossovers some of you have no relation to this whatsoever i did and we practice all of this i would be out on the court for hours trying to be like mike if you were to go uh to my room as a child you walked in there were two or three life-size posters and i mean right to the very height of michael jordan of magic johnson and of larry burke these were my guys really though were they role models what drove us and what drives us all of us in our liking especially this is true of young people in our liking of role models is the desire that's within us for greatness you have to understand that there is a desire that is in us for greatness so that our following of people who we want to follow who we like is all about really truth be told our own dreams and our own aspirations it's not even so much about the role model we really don't even care about the role model even as parents for children it's the same kind of thing as they try to relive life through them it's because there's there's some kind of hope within us that wants to be something that wants to make ourselves something that wants to be great in society and if we could achieve that we think that it would be a kind of happiness that outlasts and beats everyone else to make ourselves something and because of this we have lost an appreciation in the christian ministry and we've lost not only and i'll get to the bigger picture of this but just as an example we've lost an appreciation of the small things i was um i want you to think for a minute of how this sort of thing has affected christianity i've always said in the reform world rock star christianity is really one of the worst expressions hero worship i was watching on the other day a website of a major reformed theologian a tribute video of how much this man has accomplished in the course of his life and it really was remarkable i mean you look at all this man had accomplished in the course of his life i kid you not it was nothing but a video propping this well-known reformed figure of how far reaching his ministry has gone to the ends of the world and then there was a comment in the comment thread under that really um really grabbed me i had to ponder it for a minute and the comment basically said i'm very thankful for this man i know that my little bible study with a few souls won't make nearly the dent that this man has but i hope we will all we will be all willing to do the small part. And I couldn't stop and get away from that little phrase, the small part. The small part. We don't think much of the small part. We really have no conception of the small part. I mean, everything is bigger, faster, stronger. Everything's big in America. It's all supersized. The small part. I mean, can you imagine if our presidential candidates put up a slogan that said, make America small again. I mean, can you imagine that? It just wouldn't work, would it? Well, we're back. We're back to the disciples' struggles here to accept the Jesus of the scriptures. That's essentially what we have in front of us, a really great struggle for them to understand and accept Jesus. And Mark seems to continually take us back to this great problem this great central struggle of them to accept jesus's path to the cross they don't they don't accept it they don't even want to hear it and i want to get to the reason for that when you have this much emphasis on this in in a gospel and this much emphasis on this in the scriptures that the spirit is then we have to conclude providing us something that is absolutely crucial to the heart of true christianity what really is the issue here the disciples of jesus the followers of jesus had have the greatest had had the greatest difficulty accepting what he is saying to them and if they're having a hard time i wonder if you've thought about how much you have a hard time and how modern day christianity has a hard time and what that looks like they're having a hard time with the path that he has carved out for himself and the path that he has carved out for them they're really struggling and so because of this seeing his greatness and then hearing what he is saying it just makes no sense to them they can't process this they can't understand this they won't understand this why why have they been not able to get jesus what is the real problem here what is the issue that we need to get and understand that that is preventing them from hearing and seeing the way that they should we've been building to this in mark we've been seeing that it's about here hearing and about seeing and about the lord opening eyes and unstopping ears we've been through all of this the father even telling the disciples listen to my son i'm going to give you the answer to this this morning but not right away what is the real problem what is it i think you'll see that you have the same problem and if you'll admit that you have the same problem by the end of this sermon it will lead you to confession and leading us to confession we will then be on the path of following jesus with a kind of christianity that he loves in the midst of this confusion jesus will provide for us one of the most powerful sermon illustrations that he ever gave in my opinion to demonstrate what it means to be a follower of him and what it means to be a christian and what it's going to look like in the course of somebody's life and so this section this small section that i i took here of mark is really the greatest test if you will of whether we have received and welcomed this jesus as he has presented himself as he is given inspired in the scriptures to us if we have truly received him and we'll have to be challenged a little bit on the way we're first going to look at then the disciple's choice and i emphasize that to misunderstand jesus we're going to then look at the consequence of misunderstanding him and the clarity that jesus brings in his illustration the concept the choice to misunderstand the consequence of misunderstanding and the clarity he brings we come back to our scene this morning jesus has left a powerful impression on them in this healing of this boy to see the whole story which is what mark is doing it's a constant story he's telling here teaching them that he is the source of their strength even in his absence but jesus is not done in making them understand what it means to be true followers and to appreciate this you should have the scene and maybe the profession of faith will help you to sort of plant this in your minds this morning of something to work with have the scene of peter standing up making a public profession right in front of the disciples jesus recognizing the man was blessed of God and then immediately going out and stumbling and why did he stumble well that was because Jesus said I'm going to the cross to die I'm going to be put under the hands of sinners I'm going to be crucified that led to their fall well this is where we are this morning you notice jesus is not done with this issue he begins to teach it all over again we need that and so in verse 30 we read that they departed from there and passed through galilee and evidently at some point in their travels as they are along the road jesus comes to them and he begins to teach them again a second time and you'll notice here this second time where he says the son of man is going to be delivered into the hands of men and they will kill him and when he is killed after three days he will rise now mark told us the first time jesus said that clearly what what don't you get about that i'm gonna be i'm gonna be put under the hands of men i'm gonna to be killed and then i'll rise i'm supposing that mark had a little bit of sarcasm when he says at the end of that section they did not understand the saying and were afraid to ask him was it that they didn't fully understand it or was it that they didn't accept it well it's probably a measure of both isn't it and that makes me realize this is a fascinating moment in the study of human nature and how we hear and what we process. I've seen all kinds of things in my ministry where one person will be glued to the message and absolutely hear it, and the other person, I can visually see a hard heart. Visually see it. Human nature, how when something is said that is true doesn't fit my ideas and my conceptions of how I think it should be or what I want it to go, of how I think it should go, I immediately close down and a wall goes up and I'm done with that person. I'm not going to listen. i'm just not that has been sadly to say something i have seen a lot of and you see they were afraid to say anything at this teaching anything notice that there they did not understand and were afraid to ask him i guess that makes sense doesn't it last time peter had quite an embarrassing moment when he rebuked him and said something about this and the lord he had taken the lord aside and rebuked him far from be it from you that this thing should happen and then jesus rebuked him you get behind me satan so it was a bad moment in front of the disciples and major confusion and this problem seems to be compounded in this particular section which i found interesting that jesus says the son of man is going to be betray and kill that had a loaded history every jew understood the designation of the son of man this was when you designated the son of man you were designating yourself as the one in the old testament of whom major things were promised i mean just take daniel 7 i kept looking in the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming and he came up to the ancient of days and was presented before him and to him was given dominion glory and a kingdom that all the people's nations and men of everywhere might serve him his dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away and his kingdom is one which will not and never be destroyed son of man everyone in israel was looking for the son of man to come everyone in israel was waiting for the son of man to come and bring that jesus comes and he says in front of his disciples the son of man is going to die at the hands of sinners now we know that it's through that death that this all will happen of what daniel promised but think about where they are They don't see that glory. They got a glimpse of it in the transfiguration, but they don't see that glory. They don't see that kingdom. They don't see anything with power. And feel the struggle. Heroes don't die. It's the worst movie to end a movie if the hero went out. Have you ever watched one? You'd be angry. Greatness is not in defeat. History is written by those who win. And you're saying you're going to die. Son of man. We believe you're the Messiah. We believe you're the one. You've just confirmed it. You say you have an everlasting dominion. Who's ever heard of somebody great being put under the hands of men and dying? Who goes under the feet of people to be killed? Why are you saying this? What a terrible thing. and you see it's because of this you notice they never could hear he'll rise again they never could hear it the cross as it is today is an absolute stumbling block to them because there was no glory there was only shame there was only humiliation there was only it seem to them defeat there was only embarrassment there was only loss there was only nothingness and that was small what in the world why would we go through this the disciples really struggled with that message now i don't think it's irresponsible to say this is no different for many followers of jesus today you say well i don't really overtly and outwardly neglect the cross of course not well do you you might be surprised about how you struggle with this way more than you realize if i had some i had somebody say to me the other day and i thought this kind of captured it in a real practical way for us to lay hold of how we struggle with the same problem i had somebody say to me the other day boy you've got something really good going on this is outside who've come in to worship with us and visited here you've got something really good going on at your church, you know, can I make a suggestion? Oh boy. Yeah, sure, go ahead. If you bring in a band, I think you'd pack out Escondido. I'm quoting it. It was right down at LA Fitness. Everyone heard it. I said, what makes you think I would want that? If we did that, wouldn't we lose everything we stand for the issue is not a band the issue is what the band and the approach to god think about it what it represents and what it would convey and what it says about what we believe there is a message in it what is it Well, for countless churches, it's gone to the show. What is the message in that? We have to think through this stuff. Think about it. The hipster starts the service. You have the showcasing of the greatest edginess that you could ever create. The band for 20 minutes rocks out and creates the delusion that everything is absolutely what? Wonderful. Music is used to pander to emotion. Emotions don't do something. they create something, a sense of something that is now patently false. And what is it? Nothing about the service can then depict the hard realities of what Jesus says he carries a cross, he carried a cross, and now you have to carry a cross. How does it fit? Tell me. In other words, what does a denial of ourselves and taking up a cross, how would that affect worship? How does denial of ourselves what does that look like in worship you got to think about that i have to think about that can't the worship of god become the greatest mask to cover up a cross can it be a denial of jesus's cross if the disciples could do it i guarantee you you can do it and i can do it can worship become a sort of tonic can it become a tonic to avoid the realities of sin and the sufferings that people face in life the lights the music the drama the worship stage the espresso bar the message all a temporary escape not just from the consequences of living in a fallen world but also from the realities of sin that have to be dealt with and have to be confronted how do you preach christ and him crucified in that how it doesn't work it can't work one is a theology of glory now the other is a theology of cross now it doesn't work with a message of a crucified savior which we're told to preach how do i hand out a life-size poster of jesus who they can put up in their room if the pathway is death you see who wants to be a follower of that path in this way our music and singing of psalms if you've ever thought about it could be the greatest protection for us because it keeps people really honest keeps people really honest i don't want to fill the church with a bunch of people who sit under delusion it's all about glory now and a shallow Christianity and they don't want to hear a crucified Savior. That's not Christianity. I don't want to create that. You have to help people understand why the cross happened. And you can't have conflicting worlds. You might check your own disgruntlement to see if what you're really disgruntled about is the message that we're called to bring to a world that doesn't want to receive it you might check it and you say i see that because that's the struggle of the disciples why won't they accept this why the struggle to hold on to this why the struggle to receive this and i believe you're given the ultimate reason for their misunderstanding it's not a scriptural problem it's not an old testament problem the old testament made clear what the messiah would do you have isaiah 53 nor is it a problem about jesus remaining on a throne the problem's far different the problem is not what you think i'm going to tell you what the problem is to receive the jesus of scripture and the jesus of the cross and the cross that we're called to carry i'm going to tell you what the problem is and it's told to us here powerfully in verse as we begin now in verse 33 they came to capernaum and when he was in the house he asked them what was it that you disputed about on the road that's an interesting question here's probably the picture if we can imagine it for a moment when they walked uh we probably picture them as in a big group and jesus turning and teaching um most likely it was and this has been noted by others a narrow road jesus was probably at the front leading them you can only imagine that he's the he's the he's the leader and they're in the back following their followers their sheep and at some point jesus stops and begins to teach them about the cross now for the second time we're going to get three of these moments he stops and teaches them uh for a while about the importance of the cross and that he's going to die and that he's going to rise again and he explains the christian gospel he's explaining what this is and what he has to do and and and that he's going to die well something happened on the walk jesus probably moves back forward to the front of the line they begin to walk and the disciples hang back and you would think that this would sort of incite a great conversation about that cross right you would think this would bring about a conversation about wow our savior is going to die you know isaiah 53 does say something about this the ethiopian eunuch tried to get that on his own he understood when he read that it was a message of death but after the cross we find that on the same road trip they are in an argument about ready who would be the greatest you got to be kidding me Jesus just says he's going to die and they're now discussing right after this who will be the greatest you can imagine Jesus up front hearing this you get an idea of it it's not done in Mark's gospel in in chapter 10 James and John come to him and say teacher we want us to do for you for us whatever we ask and he said to them what do you want me to do for you they said Grant that we may sit, one on your right hand and the other on your left in glory. Unbelievable. Even mom came up and pushed that one. You don't know what you're asking me. Can you go to the cross? This is how Jesus applies it at. Can you drink this cup? They have no interest in the cross. But immediately after hearing it already, they're talking about their status. I could imagine it. They heard Jesus say it. It went up like a wall. It wouldn't have nothing to do with it. Parts are probably bitter. And they went to what mattered the most. Peter had just got rebuked, right? They all say, Peter, man, it isn't going to be you. You just got put in your place, my friend. John, I'm the one that is the one whom Jesus loves. Hey, I did a lot more visits out on that little mini mission than you, my friend. listen, listen, I cast out more demons than anyone. I'm going to be up the front. No acceptance of the message. And now we're getting to the problem. It's not about Jesus. It's not about His kingdom. It's not about His glory. It's not about His power. They have no interest in it. They're not even talking about that. That is so far from their lips and hearts. Now we're getting, ah, here we go. Now we're getting to the heart of the problem. They can't accept a message like this because it's really hard to accept a message like this because it's not what they signed up for. And you see how important this is with the profession of faith now, isn't it? They had some really big aspirations for themselves. It wasn't about Jesus, His will, His cross. That's why they didn't want to hear about the cross because that would mean that there would be, as Jesus said, a cross for them. No, the problem was about the desire in their hearts, the natural desire to make their names great. To ride on the coattails of this rising star in Israel who was powerful. And when he sets up his throne, and we can get that started, remember, on the transfiguration, we can make our names great. This was about making Israel great again. Well, not totally. Hold that message. This message is ultimately about, it's about making me great again. Don't miss that. In all that message of being great, it's about making me great again. That's what they want, greatness. And they're going to be in the driver's seat on that. Who can get up in the driver's seat who can actually sit in the passenger side shotgun this really does get to the heart and motivation of what it means to be a christian and what it means to be a follower of him that's why i said when all his kids when we as kids wanted to be like mike it wasn't about mike understand that it wasn't about mike we could care less about mike it was because we had witnessed a greatness unlike anything we had ever seen in the game of basketball and that all of us, if we could somehow do what he's doing, we could be the next Mike. You probably don't even know the name of Bruce Bowen. They say he was one of the greatest defenders in the game's history, but who cares about defenders, right? Nobody cares about them. There's no glory in that. It's about them. And that's the problem, that aspiration for greatness is a denial of a serious problem. Wouldn't you think, think about this for a moment, wouldn't you think if we really know who we are, how miserable, how sinful, how rebellious, how narcissistic, the cross and the preaching of it would mean everything to us? Then seeing with spiritual eyes and having spiritual ears to hear, if we knew who we are, we would see our true hero all the more differently, wouldn't we? That he came for rebels to die. And who was this? He came to lay down his life in love. And who is this? And to care for and pay for our sins and to save us and our children so that we don't go to hell and face the wrath of God. Wouldn't you think that would change our outlook on everything if we understood a little bit more about who we are don't you think there we would have hearts captivated and just taken by the gospel and that we would have these captivated hearts to look at such a sacrifice for us knowing that we don't deserve it and then to think about that was the son of man the son of god who did that for us but the problem you see is not about him his glory and sacrifice we struggle with narcissism we want a discussion and sermon with jesus that has nothing to do with our cross or his but about what makes us great and don't you see it your greatest need is to be set free from yourself your greatest need is to be set free from yourself we're all little narcissists running around that's why i use the worship example look at it look at it with eyes how does a cross fit that stuff the joke of what it is it's an attack on it it's all about us our wants our happiness our achievements and transfer that right over to christ and his church it's about how we feel it's about how we want to feel good having a church that's about us and ourselves and crafting that so that we will in pretense and false delusion, fill it up with people and think that that is Christianity. Think about it. We walk away from hearing about the cross and how much is our conversations in our life when we go home about the marvels of Jesus' love. But is it not about after church our plans next week? Our business opportunities, our concerns, our progress, our interests, our, our, our. We just heard about him dying and suffering for us. And the first way out of inborn narcissism is to realize it's not about our greatness. We follow the great one who became nothing. Now we feel what Jesus is saying. If anyone desires to be great first, if he wants to build the kingdom and the church, And use me to achieve earthly happiness. And use me to create a false delusion. Where we have every young person in here we ever could dream of who are not regenerate. You want to create that. You'll never be a follower. You can understand why he's saying how hard it is for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. I'm about to say that. How do you become nothing when you have everything? Do the rich clean toilets? How do you tell those whose pursuit in life is greatness and achievement and glory now, they need to become what they would think are garbage collectors. How do you tell those that? It's almost universally the message in our country that you can be all that you want to be if you just set your mind to it. Enough with that stupid, positive thinking that if I have pulled my life out of poverty and I have made it and achieved riches and greatness, Nothing should hold anyone back. You all could do it if you just set your mind to it. You can get on this road to greatness. Jesus is saying, how are you going to receive a Savior then who goes into poverty? It doesn't work. And so Jesus says, to be truly exalted and first in my kingdom, here's what it's going to look like in your life. Here's the grace I'm going to give you. This is what he's working toward. And isn't it wonderful? Because you'd never do it. That desire for greatness is too great. In your life, you're going to be a servant. A servant's mindset never thinking first and foremost about their own interests. They're constantly looking out for the interests of others. That's what I'm going to work. That's what I'm going to do. And this, with Jesus, provides one of the most clearest sermon illustrations in the Bible. I love this. This is so powerful. He grabs a little boy, obviously a few years old, And Jesus took him into his arms in front of the disciples. And then here it came. Whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me. And whoever receives me receives not me, but him who sent me. What an illustration. What is it about a child? Well, no status, no greatness, no money. totally dependent, has no ability even to feed himself. He is absolutely nothing in the world. He's small. They're small. You hear what Jesus just said? The way to true greatness is to become like that. And that's what he did. The way to true greatness is seen in your welcoming and receiving and embracing nobodies. That's how it's going to show itself. The smallness of stature in society are our children. And Jesus just said, in this way, it's only when you've welcomed Jesus this way, only when you've accepted him as one who had to come and die under the curse and become nothing. It's only when you first accepted first, that Christ had to be crucified for you and become nothing in this world. When you have welcomed Him as your Savior from your sins because your problem was so great that He had to die, then you will come to understand what it means to be a disciple and a follower of Him. And that's going to show itself in your life by not a desire anymore for greatness and glory and establishing your name, but by when you're willing to associate and who you're willing to bring into your home and who you're willing to associate with. I mean, I think this is a real practical example. Shouldn't the greats really be a lot about talking a lot more and encouraging children? Start there. We've got a lot of them running around here. Those whom society deems as nobodies, when you receive them, you're receiving Jesus. You see that? That is evidence that you become a follower and that you become great in his kingdom because you've been freed from yourself. It's no longer about your likes and dislikes and you will begin to look at the church totally different. That's what I love about this point. People's attendance more often than not is about one thing. Do I like this or do I like that? Have they never heard Jesus? I remember a family years ago loved the ministry, loved the preaching of the gospel. Oh, I love that gospel preaching. You do, Pastor. I love that gospel preaching. You do. My children respond to it, a family with six kids. They lasted about four to five months. And I said to them, I said, why are you leaving? We just don't feel welcomed. We don't feel embraced enough. We just don't feel like this is a welcoming church, and we don't feel like we like this part of it. And we, we, we, we, we, we. For all their love of the gospel, for all their big talk, They showed they had no understanding that following Christ is a denial of yourself. And that denial will be evidenced in someone who is truly known in their own life that Christ died not just for the ungodly, but that he justifies even the wicked. But it's not just that he did that, it's that he died for me, the ungodly, and justified me, the wicked. And the marvel of that love, the marvel of that sacrifice, the marvel of his gift to me, now frames the way I think that if he would stoop that low to a cross for a mess like me, well, guess what? I'm going to go love the most difficult to love. That's following. That's the path. That's the cross. That's the fruit. When I learn to accept that, then it will show itself in who you're willing to welcome and love in your life. Then you might start talking to people about Jesus. So I come back. I'm thankful for this great Reformed star who has reached to the ends of the earth. Big name, done so much. But I know that my little part, my little study, with a few souls that are brought in, won't nearly make the dent that this man has. We've got to get rid of that. I hope people will be willing to do the small part. Really, greatness will always be seen in the small parts. Always. Jesus said, as those who become small in service and love and name in this world and how they receive the small will show whether they've received them. That will be evidence that you know and believe in the marvel that Jesus laid down His life to set you free from your greatest enemy, yourself. Let's pray. Father, we're narcissists. it's all about us and yet it shouldn't be about us and we ask for forgiveness for this we all have aspired to make a name for ourselves we all have aspired to be something and you have just told us that the true path of Christianity is receiving a Savior who became nothing emptied Himself had that glory and yet came in our rags taking on a human nature, stooping down and washing feet of filthy sinners, going all the way to the cross to pay. What a marvel! So that we can live in absolute assurance and joy and peace of Your love. Well, if we understand that message, then it should frame and guide how we become followers. We need Your help, Lord, to exemplify the cross that You give us now. You said that here, Lord. You said that in this very section. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospels will save it. Help us this week to begin to implement who we are. Thank you that it's always been by grace, through faith, and that not of ourselves, it's a gift of God. But accepting this message, may we begin to show it forth in the way that we live by receiving those who are small. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.