It's good to see everyone this evening.
Let's begin with a word of prayer.
Gracious Father in heaven, we come before you grateful for the day you've given to us, for the blessings that you shower upon us, for the tender mercies and the kindness that you
grant to us each and every day.
We pray that as we strive diligently to grow in wisdom and in knowledge and understanding of your will, that we might
seek the things which are above that we might set our focus and our minds on eternity and not on this earth.
We pray that we might be able during this period of study to set aside the things of this world to focus on spiritual matters and to grow in those matters.
Lord, we pray that you will forgive us when we sin and fall short of your glory, all this we pray and ask in Jesus' name, amen.
In Mark chapter 9, we find in verse 33, he 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.
Two weeks ago as we concluded this section and talked about this, we were talking about what Jesus described as the thing that would be the nature of the person who is the
greatest in the kingdom.
And what did we say that attribute was?
All right, be servant of all or
Last of all, both of those terminologies are given.
But let's spend a moment and think about the disciples' situation.
What is it that they were contemplating, discussing, disputing about among themselves on the road to Capernaum?
All right, if one of them was better than the other, so uh in a kingdom, we'll just use, you know, a kingdom called United States of America as an example.
uh The person that's in the cabinet, does everybody have the same authority once you get down from the president?
No.
Not only do they not have the same authority, they don't have the same position.
if something happens to the president.
There's certain positions on who would take control if the president dies.
There's things and uh authorities that come with different positions.
The secretary of interior may not have the same sway as the secretary of state.
Matter of fact, they don't.
All right?
And the secretary of...
uh
No, no, name one, probably not in the same position as the Secretary of Defense.
There's a difference in positions and in authority.
And we remember there was the occasion where John and James's mother came to Jesus and asked for the left and right hand of Jesus be given to her sons when he came into his
authority.
Jesus pointed out that this was not His to give, but all of this helps us to realize there was still within the disciples, within the apostles, a fundamental incorrect view of the
kingdom.
How were they thinking of the kingdom?
as an earthly kingdom.
All right.
Yep.
So the promise had been made.
Let's go back to 2 Samuel.
Sagan's Amul, Chapter 7.
Beginning in verse 5, the prophet comes to David and is told to go to David and deliver this message.
He says, go tell my servant David, thus says the Lord, would you build a house for me to dwell in?
For I have not dwelt in a house since the time that I brought the children of Israel up from Egypt, even to this day, but have moved about in a tent and in a tabernacle.
Wherever I have moved about with all the children of Israel, have I ever spoken a word to anyone of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, Why
have you not built me a house of cedar?
Now therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the sheepfold, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over
Israel."
And I have been with you wherever you have gone, and have cut off all your enemies from before you, and have made you a great name like the name of the great men who are on the
earth.
Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more.
Nor shall the sons of wickedness oppress them any more as previously.
Since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel,
and have caused you to rest from all your enemies.
Also the Lord tells you that he will make you a house." What's the situation that's going on here in this text?
What is David desired to do?
All right, build a permanent house for the Lord.
Up until this time, where was the Lord's house?
All right, it was in Tabernacle.
What is a Tabernacle?
It's a tent.
It's a, as we would consider it, a non-permanent structure.
How many years estimate had it been in a tent?
Hmm?
That's correct.
Nearly 500 years from Moses to David.
So after 500 years of it being in a tent, David thinks, well, here I am dwelling in a house of, paneled house and a house of cedar and there's the Lord's house and it's a tent.
Now, David wasn't looking at it
from a perspective of, want the grandeur of building a house for God.
David was thinking, I am of such insignificance by comparison to the Lord and yet here this is my house and there's his house.
This doesn't seem right.
It seemed in David's mind to be the exact opposite of what it should be.
But when he determines to do this and then says to the prophet, should I do this?
And the prophet says, yeah, go ahead.
God then appears to the prophet that night and says, I didn't say yes.
Now you go back the very next morning and this is what you tell David.
So the Lord sends the prophet back with the message.
Nathan delivers the message to David.
And God says, when did I ask for a house?
When in all the time from the judges all the way until now did I ever instruct any of the people who have shepherded my people that could be Moses, that could be Joshua, that could
be Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, any of them, when did I ask any of the judges, when did I ask Samuel to build me a house?
Did I ask King Saul?
He reigned for 40 years.
Did I ask him to build me a house?
No.
God's point is you have misunderstood my role.
His significance in this message is God is pointing out, I don't need a house.
I didn't need a house.
I don't have a tabernacle because I need a tabernacle.
I have a tabernacle because Israel needs me.
And David, you have a house because I gave it to you.
You have a house because I caused you to go from being a shepherd following the sheep to king in the nation.
as you consider
what God is telling David.
God is making it clear to David, you're in the position that you're in, you're in the scenario that you're in, you're in the environment that you're in, because I let you be
there and because I put you there.
Now, he continues and he says, verse 12, when your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you who will come from your body and I will
establish his kingdom.
Now, question, was David's kingdom physical or spiritual?
Physical.
And when the prophecy comes of the coming King from the line of David, God specifically gives the prophecy as someone who would be born from His line, which would indicate the
individual is A, physical, or B, spiritual.
Physical.
God didn't say I'm going to have some angel reign over your kingdom.
He says it's going to be somebody who's a human.
Flesh and blood comes from your line.
Alright, now notice what else.
He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
I will be his father, and he shall be my son.
If he commits iniquity, I will chase in him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men.
But my mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you."
Your throne shall be established forever.
based upon the prophecy, the understanding of the Jews was that because of disobedience there was a period of time where the throne had been taken away from Israel, but God was
going to restore it.
God was going to put a king back on that throne, and it was going to be a king from the line of David.
And that ultimately the throne in Jerusalem was going to last forever.
Now was it David's direct son who would build the house for God?
Yes, it was Solomon.
But was it David's direct son that would have the throne that remained forever?
No, as a matter of fact.
Ten of the tribes are going to be ripped away from Solomon because of his lack of faithfulness to God.
And only because of this prophecy do the other two remain.
But as you move forward, you have in this perception among the Jews that there's a throne that's going to be in Israel, that's going to be in Jerusalem, and it's going to be
David's throne, and the seed of David is going to reign on that throne forever.
go to Acts chapter two.
In Acts chapter 2
Peter in that sermon on the day of Pentecost will discuss David because of other prophecies connected between David and the Messiah.
And we read in verse 22, Men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did through him in your
midst, as you yourselves also know.
him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God you have taken by lawless hands have crucified and put to death whom God raised up having loosed the pains
of death because it was not possible that he should be held by it for David says concerning him I foresaw the Lord always before my face for he is at my right hand that I
may not be shaken
Therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad.
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will you allow your Holy One to see corruption.
You have made known to me the ways of life and you will make me full of joy in your presence.
Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the Patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried and his tomb is with us to this day.
Peter says, here's this prophecy from David about his flesh not seeing corruption, and yet, Peter points out, his tomb's right here.
You can go down the road and see David's tomb.
His body is still with us.
So clearly, as Peter's pointing out, the prophecy is not about David.
It's about someone else.
So then notice what he says.
He says, therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit
on his throne.
Now, where's that prophecy?
Second Samuel chapter 7.
Peter is telling these Israelites, know about the prophecy of the throne.
I know about the prophecy of the physical descendant after the flesh, after the lineage of David.
But notice what he says.
He says, David being a prophet, verse 30, foresaw this, verse 31, spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ.
that his soul was not left in Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption.
This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses, therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit,
he poured out this which you now see and hear.
For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, the Lord said to my Lord,
sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool.
Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.
Peter as he is drawing their attention to what happened to Jesus not 50 days prior in Jerusalem and how he was crucified and how he was resurrected and how he has now ascended
up into heaven.
says David didn't ascend into heaven.
David's not sitting at the right hand of God.
But Jesus was resurrected.
And notice that the significance of the fact that Jesus was resurrected was proof and evidence that He ascended.
How many people witnessed Jesus' ascension?
based upon what we know from the text.
I would go with 11.
Judas was no longer there.
So, the disciples, the apostles were there.
We're not told of any others that were present, though after he ascends there are two men.
They're described as the same type of description that usually angels are described as.
So, two individuals come to them and say, why are you standing here staring up into heaven?
He's coming back the same way you saw him go.
But the point is this, all the people of Jerusalem didn't see it.
and yet there were enough witnesses to his resurrection to stand as evidence of his ascension.
Nobody said, well, I think maybe he just got on a donkey and headed to Egypt.
That's why he's not here anymore.
But what would that have proved?
That he was resurrected.
His enemies couldn't argue with his ascension because that would mean they'd have to agree with his resurrection.
But by nature of the fact that it was clearly evident he had been resurrected, his tomb was empty.
The soldiers that were around the tomb had no explanation.
Other than they were awake one minute, they were not the next.
And there were 500 plus witnesses in the city of Jerusalem all saying, I have seen him in person.
This is all going on.
All these people have been present because the majority of these people would have been there for Passover.
They would, if they were from outside of the region, they would have traveled in for Passover.
They would have stayed from Passover until Pentecost.
So they were there when all the events occurred.
They've been around the city waiting for Pentecost to occur and had nothing better to do than to discuss this whole thing that's going on with this Jesus of Nazareth who was
supposed to be dead and was supposed to be buried.
But now he's walking with two disciples on the road to Emmaus.
And now he's being seen and seen and seen and seen and seen.
And now Peter's saying not only was he resurrected, but he's ascended.
And he's sitting at the right hand of the throne of God.
that statement together with the accusation that their wicked hands had put to death the Son of God is what prompted the response, men and brethren, what shall we do?
It is so fundamental to the Israelite perspective of the kingdom that they had been waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting for a thousand years from David to Jesus.
They were waiting for the Messiah.
They were waiting for the kingdom.
And then they had heard John.
That period of time where John the Baptist was preaching?
Who went out to hear John?
All is real.
All Israel went out to hear John.
And what did John preach?
kingdom of heaven is at hand.
It is nigh.
It is around the corner.
It is about to come to pass.
And then Jesus shows on the scene.
Starts performing these miracles and doing these signs and these wonders.
And no one can comprehend the authority and the power that he has.
Even the apostles are astounded time and time again because of the authority that Jesus has by speaking a word.
and they still kill him.
They still put him to death, not days before.
They had been laying down their coats and their cloaks.
And Paul leaves crying out, Hosanna to the highest, as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.
And seven days later, they're crying, crucify Him.
Crucify Him.
Why?
because what they thought they were getting.
wasn't what they were getting.
because what they had been waiting for all this time was never what God had promised.
You cannot overestimate.
the reaction from people when they have been manipulated and taught incorrectly for generations.
where they have been lied to and convinced that something that had never been promised was what was coming.
and that their glory and their grandeur and their return of their prominence and power was at hand.
only to realize.
That wasn't happening.
You cannot overestimate the reaction that people will have when they are firmly convinced that things will turn out one way and then they don't.
and Jesus
keeps pushing the disciples.
time after time after time.
to get them to realize their thinking is wrong.
What did Jesus say when they were in the boat and there was only one loaf of bread?
Beware the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.
And they're going, oh man, he must be upset because we didn't bring any food.
No!
He's trying to get them to get off of the physical plane of thinking.
To stop thinking about this world as if it's all that matters.
to stop looking at the Scriptures as if the Scriptures were about this world.
and start thinking about eternity.
They're disputing who's going to be the greatest in the kingdom.
and Jesus gives them the explanation that does not work in a physical kingdom.
I get that you can and should teach, even in the business world, servant leadership.
It's a great principle and methodology for leadership.
But you don't get to be the greatest in this physical world, in physical kingdoms, by being the servant of all.
Going to say that usually that means you end up the servant in the kingdom, not the greatest.
what Jesus is talking to them about.
is that he was never going to teach them how to be the greatest in a physical kingdom.
because their view of what a kingdom was, was wrong.
He was going to teach them how to be the greatest in a spiritual kingdom.
where all the equations are upside down from all the kingdoms that they had ever known.
Do you think Caesar got to be Caesar because he was the servant of all?
No.
As a matter of fact, Jesus will point out that there's a method to how the Gentile kings reign.
That is, they take authority and power that is not theirs and they cause others to serve them.
But then we read verse 36, then he took a little child and he set him in the midst of them.
And when he had taken him in his arms, he said to them, whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me.
And whoever receives me receives not me, but him who sent me.
Who's the Him who sent me?
God the Father.
Jesus says, when you receive one of these little ones, you receive me.
When you receive me, you receive the Father.
Does that mean that all you have to do in order to be saved is help little kids?
No.
So we're talking about a different sort of receive, aren't we?
What is Jesus' emphasis about the child?
Okay, childlike faith, that's part of it.
It's not what's highlighted here in Mark, though.
What's the idea of receive here?
to welcome.
Alright, we'll spin things back, just a few verses, and ask what are they talking and arguing about?
Who's the greatest in the kingdom?
When you are in a position of authority and when you are a governor and a magistrate and you get to sit in authority over others, you get to decide who comes to talk to you.
Go back in your mind to the days of Joseph.
Is Joseph the leader of all the nation?
when he's put in authority by Pharaoh?
Is he the very top guy?
No.
Who's the very top guy?
Pharaoh is.
So he is not the greatest in the kingdom, but he is one step down.
Now if you pay attention to the account of Joseph's brothers coming, they're always having to have permission just to appear before the one who makes the decisions.
He has to receive them because there's person after person after person in the way to gatekeep anyone from going into His presence.
Why?
He's second in the kingdom.
He is in a position of authority.
So as you examine this physical discussion of who's going to be the greatest, who's going to be the number two guy, who's going to be the number three guy, who's going to be the
number four guy, you have in their mind, there are going to be kings and counselors and ambassadors and all the really important people.
They're going to come talk to us because we're going to be second in the kingdom.
We're gonna be third in the kingdom.
I wonder what house I'm gonna live in, in Jerusalem.
I wonder what little knoll I'm gonna live on top of where I overlook all the people underneath me.
Oh absolutely there's a competitive sense there because that's why they were arguing with one another about it.
That's why they were disputing over it.
That's why the other disciples were so angry with James and John when their mother asked for the position in the kingdom.
It's because they're going, what?
How are you jumping in that seat?
And Jesus...
takes the little child.
brings them into their midst.
sits down and says, the one who receives one of these little ones.
receives me.
So let's play that through.
You're a person of authority.
You're second in the kingdom.
When you say to do something, it's done.
When you say so and so isn't allowed to come in those doors, so and so is not allowed to come in those doors.
When you get a high-ranking official from a far-off country, they're going to come in and they're going to show you honor and respect.
They're going to bring you gifts and tribute.
What does a little child have to offer you?
Nothing.
Not a thing.
They have no position, no authority, no prominence.
It's just a child.
And yet, Jesus says...
who's the greatest in the kingdom.
You're right, I am.
And when you accept that little child, when you receive that little child, when you receive a little child, you receive me.
What's he just done?
He just flipped the whole power structure on his head.
Now power prominence position mean nothing because the little child has the same access to the greatest ones in the kingdom that the ambassador does.
Now position doesn't mean anything.
Prominence doesn't mean anything.
As a matter of fact, it actually is a negative because the child has none of that.
and yet they represent the greatest in the kingdom.
It is worth our time and consideration to think about these situations where Jesus says these things and just mull over in your head what is the implication of what He just said.
It's more than just have a childlike heart.
It's more than having the faith of a little child.
Jesus is saying your fundamental concept of everything that you think matters is wrong.
When you drive by the great big houses sitting way off from the road with the fence you can't hardly see over.
And you think, man, what must it be like to live there?
Two people, 20,000 square feet.
It's just a house.
But when you think that that is not even rich in this world's comparisons.
And then you realize all the people and all the prominence and all the opulence that exists in the world, Jesus says there is a greater connection to me with that little child
than there is to that king.
to that governor, to that ambassador, to that person of prominence, to that wealthy person, to that person of influence, there is a greater connection between that child and
me than there is any of them.
and he didn't cite their politics and he didn't cite their positions and he didn't cite their actions as having anything to do with it.
Jesus is emphasizing to His disciples.
Everything you think you know is wrong.
Everything you think is important is wrong.
until you begin to open your mind to looking at things the way God speaks of them.
What value did Joseph have to Egypt when he arrived as a slave sold to Ishmaelites?
Zero.
best case the price of his life.
What value did he have to Potiphar after Potiphar had put everything in his control?
immense.
So much so that everything that Joseph touched, a slave, didn't even have his own freedom, everything he touched.
went well.
to the point that Potiphar didn't even know he had anymore.
that tells you that Potiphar had become so wealthy that he could no longer look at what he once had and what he currently has and do the math to figure out how he got there.
and then through the course of events.
Joseph goes back into jail or goes into jail, goes back into imprisonment.
And how long did it take him to work his way up the ladder to get to second in the kingdom?
Well, he was in charge in the prison for a period of time, even as a prisoner.
Guard's like, as long as Joseph's in charge, I don't have anything to worry about.
and then interacts with the servants of Pharaoh.
then spends two more years in prison.
And how long did it take him to climb the ladder from prisoner and slave to second in the kingdom?
The answer is one meeting.
God doesn't care about human power structures.
God sees no significance in them.
other than as a resource to enact his will.
So can God take the most wicked person on the planet and make them a king?
I mean, kinda did that with Nebuchadnezzar.
Mavikanezer was not a good guy.
Neither was Caesar.
any of them.
Neither were a whole host of other individuals in Old Testament history.
And yet every single one of them played a part in enacting God's will.
because all of the power that exists in this world.
all of the power structures that humanity dreams up.
don't mean anything to God.
They are entirely insignificant.
by comparison to the authority that exists within his kingdom.
And Jesus is trying to get his disciples to stop thinking about physical power.
Because the reality is their physical power was without value.
That the authority they would have by showing kindness, by showing humility, by showing meekness, had greater power than armies.
Turn to Matthew 5 as we close.
Matthew chapter five, verse three, blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.
Wait a minute.
I thought kings and rich people and prominent people of great power inherited the earth.
Jesus said, nope.
No, you got the wrong people.
It's the meek.
You go on.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
I thought it was the rich people who had the ability to fare sumptuously every day.
He said, no, no, no, you got it wrong.
It's those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
He goes on.
He says, are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
No, no, no, no.
I thought it was the judges and the rulers and the kings who could arbitrarily grant mercy at a whim to their friends and could bring judgment against their enemies that would get
mercy, because it's not after all whether you're right or wrong or
Innocent or guilty, it's do you know the judge well enough?
Jesus said, no.
No, it's whether or not you're merciful.
He goes on and he says, blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
You don't get to be in prominence and power and be persecuted for righteousness sake at the same time.
persecution that's dealt with here comes from above you.
You're not in power.
You're not in authority.
And yet, he says, those, those are the ones who belong to my kingdom, not these.
We so desperately, even today.
need to remember and to realize, yes, we know it's a spiritual kingdom.
But are we living like it's a spiritual kingdom?
Or are we entrapped again and again and again?
in being fascinated by the world and all of its fake authority and power.
when at the end of the day, God has been very clear, none of it matters.
What matters is, see that little child over there?
Did you receive them as if they were me?
You see the least in the nation?
Who has no authority, who's poor, who's destitute, who can't do anything for you, did you receive them as if they're me?
Do you remember that when you receive me, you receive him who sent me?
Those are the things we need to spend more time understanding.
Because when we do, we'll start understanding why the apostles made such a fundamental difference in the first century church.
because they finally understood.
come the day of Pentecost, what it all actually meant.
All right, thank you for your attention.