The DISPOSITION For POSITION-I—Mark 10:35-45
Attention:
A Better Solution
When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in 0 gravity.
To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade & billions of dollars developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass & at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300C.
The Russians used a pencil.
Need:
What is supremely difficult for anyone who ministers is that his/her ‘power & position’ is only attained thru the ‘allowance’ of others who wield power & hold position. It does not have to be officially delegated or recognized position & power.
Jesus characterized the disposition needed for holding position & power in Jesus’ disciples.
There is a proper disposition for holding position & power in Jesus’ disciples.
What is the proper disposition for position & power in Jesus’ disciples?
12 ties/considerations regarding position & power in Jesus’ disciples.
1—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our COMFORT Disposition(:35a)
Explanation:(:35a) Approach to Jesus
:35—“Then James & John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.””
According to Matthew’s account, rather than approaching Jesus themselves, the “mother” of James & John actually came to Him with the question.
‘Mommy’ is hovering over ‘boys’ old enough to carry out the ministry of Jesus! It is the ‘fault’ of both ‘Mommy’ & sons!
Interestingly, their approach comes on the heels of Jesus’ having related His destiny at the hands of blasphemous men.
Mk. 10:33-34—““Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, & the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests & to the scribes; & they will condemn Him to death & deliver Him to the Gentiles; & they will mock Him, & scourge Him, & spit on Him, & kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.””
Your comfort level with Christ is based on your ‘perceived’ distance from or closeness to Him.
?Why would you NOT approach Jesus?
1)Fear(1Jn. 4:18—““for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.””)
2)Disgust with Jesus.
Argumentation:
Mat. 11:27-30—““All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, & no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, & the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor & are heavy laden, & I will give you rest. “Take My yoke upon you & learn from Me, for I am gentle & lowly in heart, & you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy & My burden is light.””
Heb. 4:10-16—“For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example[word heard not mixed with faith] of disobedience. For the word of God is living & powerful, & sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul & spirit, & of joints & marrow, & is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked & open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy & find grace to help in time of need.”
Mat. 13:3-9 & 19-23—“Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. “And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; & the birds came & devoured them. “Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; & they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. “But when the sun was up they were scorched, & because they had no root they withered away. “And some fell among thorns, & the thorns sprang up & choked them. “But others fell on good ground & yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!””.....““When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, & does not understand it, then the wicked one comes & snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word & immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, & the cares of this world & the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, & he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word & understands it, who indeed bears fruit & produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.””
Illustration:
You see all your co-workers getting raises &/or better hours/Approaching the boss for a raise/Much of his attitude toward giving you a raise is based on your previous performance/You approach him knowing full well your commitment to the company...to the work/?COMFORT Disposition justified?
Many of you do not have the Comfort Level necessary to approach Jesus freely. You know your lack of commitment...you are a ‘hit-&-miss’ Christian at best. You are not even sure of your salvation. You have allowed so many weeds to infiltrate & steal away your life in Christ that you can’t be certain of your salvation in the first place!
Application:
?Is your COMFORT Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
2—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our SUPPLIER Disposition(:35b)
Explanation:(:35b) Teaches/Direction
:35—“Then James & John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.””
If you want to hear from God the Father, you must access Him thru Jesus. To access Jesus you must access the Holy Spirit. To access the fullness of God, you must employ saving faith.
Instruction is found in Christ.
“Teacher/Master”—didaskalov—1) A teacher; 2) in the NT--One who teaches concerning the things of God, & the duties of man. Strong—An instructor (genitive case or specially).
Argumentation:
Col. 2:2,3—“that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, & attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father & of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom & knowledge.”
Jn. 14:26-27—““But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, & bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
Acts 1:8—““But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; & you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, & in all Judea & Samaria, & to the end of the earth.””
Ps. 25:8-13—“Good & upright is the LORD; Therefore He teaches sinners in the way. The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy & truth, To such as keep His covenant & His testimonies. For Your name’s sake, O LORD, Pardon my iniquity, for it is great. Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way He chooses. He himself shall dwell in prosperity, And his descendants shall inherit the earth.”
1Cor. 2:12-13—“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”
Jn. 15:13-17 ““Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you & appointed you that you should go & bear fruit, & that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.”
2Tim. 3:16-17—“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, & is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Heb. 13:20-21—“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever & ever. Amen.”
Illustration:
Our ‘pine straw’ from Tate’s Hell/I merely went to the headquarters on airport road/I asked the receptionist- deputy if it would be okay if I got some pine straw out of the forest/She said, “We’ve never had anybody ask that before.”/Myself, she & two other deputies agreed they would not arrest the preacher if they caught me piling pine straw in my car!/I knew whom to go to in order to get what was needed/Our SUPPLIER Disposition
The disciple’s SUPPLIER—Jesus—is able!
At CRH/We would approach the Shipping Dept. in order to get something shipped properly with no hangups/It is their job, their promise!/Our SUPPLIER Disposition
Application:
?Is your SUPPLIER Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
3—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our MANEUVERINGS Disposition(:35c)
Explanation:(:35c) Jockeying for position/Positioning
:35—“Then James & John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.””
The HCSB rightly softens this slightly as, ““Teacher, we want You to do something for us if we ask You.” At least it makes the two seem not as presumptuous.
“...they try to commit Jesus to their desires before they tell what they are, just like spoiled children.”—RWP
However, they must have seen themselves as fit for the ‘Kingdom’ seeing as they were Jesus’ ‘right-hand-men.’
Mk. 5:35-42—“While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, & John the brother of James. Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, & saw a tumult & those who wept & wailed loudly. When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion & weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father & the mother of the child, & those who were with Him, & entered where the child was lying. Then He took the child by the hand, & said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” Immediately the girl arose & walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement.”
Mk. 9:2-9—“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, & John, & led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; & He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, & they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter answered & said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; & let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, & one for Elijah”-- because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. And a cloud came & overshadowed them; & a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves. Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead.”
Mk. 14:32-34—“Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; & He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And He took Peter, James, & John with Him, & He began to be troubled & deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here & watch.””
Earlier the disciples had all discussed among themselves, who was the greatest!...
Mk. 9:33-34—“Then He[Jesus] came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?” But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest.”
Mat. 18:1-7—“At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, & said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted & become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, & he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!”
“Do”—poiew—Strong—To make or do(in a very wide application, more or less direct).
“Whatever”—ean—Conj.—1) If, in case. Strong—a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.; often used in connection with other particles to denote indefiniteness or uncertainty.
“Ask”(See :38)—aitew—Aorist Active Subjunctive— 1) To ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require. Aitew denotes a request of the will. Aitew signifies to ask for something to be given, not done, giving prominence to the thing asked for rather than the person, & hence is rarely used in exhortation. Erwtaw, on the other hand, is to request a person to do(rarely to give) something; referring more directly to the person, it is naturally used in exhortation, etc. Strong—To ask(in genitive case).
Argumentation:
Lk. 11:5-13—“And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, & go to him at midnight & say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; ‘for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, & I have nothing to set before him’; & he will answer from within & say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, & my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise & give to you’? “I say to you, though he will not rise & give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise & give him as many as he needs. “So I say to you, ask, & it will be given to you; seek, & you will find; knock, & it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, & he who seeks finds, & to him who knocks it will be opened. “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!””
1Jn. 3:21-22—“Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments & do those things that are pleasing in His sight.”
1Jn. 5:14-15—“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”
Js. 1:2-8—“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect & complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally & without reproach, & it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven & tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”
Js. 4:1-3—“Where do wars & fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust & do not have. You murder & covet & cannot obtain. You fight & war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. You ask & do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”
Eph. 3:11-12—“...Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness & access with confidence through faith in Him.”
Mat. 21:19-22—“And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it & found nothing on it but leaves, & said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away. And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?” So Jesus answered & said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith & do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed & be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.””
Illustration:
Political Lobbyists/Press their case to the demise of others/Money & power talks, while everything else walks/Our MANEUVERINGS Disposition
Geocacheing/People leave coordinates on some publicly accessible site/There is a prize(beautiful or interesting view, pictures) at the coordinates/Our MANEUVERINGS Disposition
Application:
?Is your MANEUVERINGS Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
4—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our EXPECTANCY Disposition(:36)
Explanation:(:36)
:36—“And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?””
Truly we know that no matter the outcome, Jesus will take our request seriously. He may not supply ‘what’ we want or supply it in the ‘manner’ we envision it, but He will reply.
Sometimes God’s reply is silence...Does that mean we are shirked? No! But it may be that our prayer is ‘out of line’ with God’s desire, & as such, my prayer—my desire— must be reevaluated.
More often than not we are shamed when we fall to our knees in sincerity of prayer.
He cannot be unfaithful to Himself(2Tim. 2:13)
Argumentation:
Isa. 25:1—“O LORD, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness & truth.”
Num. 23:19—[Balaam to Balak]““God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, & will He not do? Or has He spoken, & will He not make it good?”
2Tim. 2:13—“If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.”
1Thes. 5:23-24—“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; & may your whole spirit, soul, & body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”
Lk. 11:10-13—““For everyone who asks receives, & he who seeks finds, & to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!””
Illustration:
Marriage/Courting versus dating—helps us early on to recognize what we can expect from the other/Our EXPECTANCY Disposition
Olive Trees/My planting them in Expectation of not only a crop of olives but their natural beauty/Our EXPECTANCY Disposition
My going to God in Christ, ?What am I seeking from Him?
Application:
?Is your EXPECTANCY Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
5—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our WANT TO Disposition(:37)
Explanation:(:37)
:37—“They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand & the other on Your left, in Your glory.””
“They are looking for a grand Jewish world empire with apocalyptic features in the eschatological culmination of the Messiah's kingdom. That dream brushed aside all the talk of Jesus about his death & resurrection as mere pessimism.”—RWP
“Grant/Allow”(See :40, 45—“Give”)—didwmi—Strong—To give (used in a very wide application, properly, or by implication, literally or figuratively; greatly modified by the connection).
“Sit”(See :39)—kayizw—1) To make to sit down—1a) To set, appoint, to confer a kingdom on one; 2) intransitively—2a) To sit down, 2b) To sit—2b1) To have fixed one's abode, 2b2) To sojourn, to settle, settle down. Strong—To seat down, i.e. Set(figuratively--Appoint); intransitively--To sit (down); figuratively--To settle(hover, dwell).
“Glory”—doxa—1) Opinion, judgment, view; 2) Opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone; 3) Splendor, brightness; 4) A most glorious condition, most exalted state. Strong—Glory(as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, objective or subjective).
In Matthew’s 20:21, “kingdom” replaces Mark’s “glory.”
“Kingdom”—basileia—1) Royal power, kingship, dominion, rule—1a) not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather--The right or authority to rule over a kingdom, 1b) Of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah, 1c) Of the royal power & dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah's kingdom; 2) A kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king; 3) used in the N.T. to refer to--The reign of the Messiah. Strong—properly--Royalty, i.e. abstractly--Rule, or concretely--A realm (literally or figuratively).
Argumentation:
Eph. 3:8-21—“To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, & to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities & powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness & access with confidence through faith in Him. Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven & earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted & grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width & length & depth & height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever & ever. Amen.”
Lk. 14:7-11—“So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; & he who invited you & him come & say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ & then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go & sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted.””
BUT...Do not be dissatisfied with the lowest place!
Illustration:
Young home buyers who want ‘the best’ now!/Want ‘all the bells & whistles’/Granite countertops-Crown molding-Three-car garage-Tile floors-Custom cabinetry-Hard-wood floors-High-end appliances, etc/They find out very quickly that they cannot afford all that stuff & it is best had gradually over time/Our WANT TO Disposition
Position & power with Jesus is best had gradually over time thru a transformed life of continual dedication to Him.
Application:
?Is your WANT TO Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
6—Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
Our PREPAREDNESS(Personal) Disposition(:38-39a)
Explanation:(:38-39a) Ignorance/Convictions
:38—“But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, & be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
Jesus is saying, ‘You are both out of your element boys. You are asking things of which you have no clue. You are speaking from ignorance.’
Both James & John are thinking of ease, prestige, authority, & control when they must rather consider that which is required in God’s standard for rulership. These men are woefully detached, unaware, ill-equipped(the Spirit had not yet come but Jesus is before them) & separated from the mindset necessary for the furtherance of the kingdom of God thru the death, burial & resurrection of Christ.
Jesus inquires as to focus upon their own considerations concerning their ability to undergo the same “cup”(made to partake) & “baptism”(immersed).
“Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane will refer to his death again as "the cup"”—RWP—Also Rev. 14:10 & Rev. 18:6.
Immediately prior to James & John’s supplication, Jesus had informed them, ““Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, & the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests & to the scribes; & they will condemn Him to death & deliver Him to the Gentiles; & they will mock Him, & scourge Him, & spit on Him, & kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.””— Mk. 10:33-34
:39a—“They said to Him, “We are able.” So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, & with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized;”
You think you’re where you need to be. You don’t want to ‘look’ needy or weak or less than pious.
Peter responded at Jesus’ transfiguration, “Then Peter answered & said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; & let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, & one for Elijah”-- because he did not know what to say, for they[Peter, James & John] were greatly afraid.”—Mk. 9:5-6
Pastors/churches run into this all the time!
Individuals who are certain they can take care of this ministry or that ministry. They ‘minister in the flesh’ because they are so busy, they are out of step with the Lord. They don’t finish what they started or committed to because they are ill-prepared to meet the rigors of the task at hand! They make the initial decision in good faith & with good intentions, but they are Ill-prepared for reality.
Jn. 13:1-7—“Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, & that He had come from God & was going to God, rose from supper & laid aside His garments, took a towel & girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin & began to wash the disciples’ feet, & to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You washing my feet?” Jesus answered & said to him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.””
Jn. 12:16—“His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him & that they had done these things to Him.”
Jn. 14:25-26—““These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, & bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
Lk. 9:44-45—““Let these words sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, & it was hidden from them so that they did not perceive it; & they were afraid to ask Him about this saying.”
Lk. 18:31-34—“Then He took the twelve aside & said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, & all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished. For He will be delivered to the Gentiles & will be mocked & insulted & spit upon. They will scourge Him & kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, & they did not know the things which were spoken.”
Mat. 16:21-23—“From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, & suffer many things from the elders & chief priests & scribes, & be killed, & be raised the third day. Then Peter took Him aside & began to rebuke Him, saying, “Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!” But He turned & said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.””
Mk. 8:13-21—:21—“So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?””
Argumentation:
Rev. 3:14-22—““And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful & True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, & neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, & have need of nothing’--& do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, & naked--I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; & white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; & anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke & chasten. Therefore be zealous & repent. Behold, I stand at the door & knock. If anyone hears My voice & opens the door, I will come in to him & dine with him, & he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame & sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’””
Illustration:
Suppose I’m tired of depending on other ‘fishermen’ to take me fishing so I buy a boat(though I know nothing about boats)—Why can’t I be a fisherman too?!/I buy a trailer hitch for my car (though I know nothing about trailer hitches or power & torque ratios)/I buy two motors(though I know nothing about motors)/I buy some mis-matched fishing tackle(though I know nothing about fishing equipment)/I head out wherever(though I know nothing about navigation)/I buy a fish finder(though I know nothing about locating fish)/Supposing that if I go far enough, I’ll catch something/Our PREPAREDNESS Disposition
Some of you are Ill-Prepared for serving God. You suppose that since you look the part & have the stuff & frequent real fishermen(saints/Christians) that you are good to go!
Application:
?Is your PREPAREDNESS Disposition justified in God’s Kingdom?
?Your Disposition toward Position & Power rest in Jesus or elsewhere?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
The Russians used a pencil!
Action:
Position & power in Jesus’ disciples is tied to...
1. Our COMFORT Disposition(:35a)
2. Our SUPPLIER Disposition(:35b)
3. Our MANEUVERINGS Disposition(:35c)
4. Our EXPECTANCY Disposition(:36)
5. Our WANT TO Disposition(:37)
6. Our PREPAREDNESS(Personal) Disposition(:38-39a)
Presented 04/06/2014am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
