Greatness Is Serving

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, "Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask."

36 And He said to them, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

37 They said to Him, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory."

38 But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

39 They said to Him, "We are able."

So Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; 40 but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. 42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Leaving All to Follow Christ

25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29 lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Tasteless Salt Is Worthless

34 "Salt is good; but if the salt has lost its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? 35 It is neither fit for the land nor for the dunghill, but men throw it out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, "This Man receives sinners and eats with them." 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4 "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8 "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

by Alan Carr

Gospel: Mark 10:35-45

Introduction:

I once heard the story of a rice farmer who saved an entire village from destruction. From his hilltop farm he felt the earth quake and saw the distant ocean swiftly withdraw from the shore line. He knew that a tidal wave was coming.

In the valley below, he saw his neighbors working low fields that would soon be flooded. They must run quickly to his hilltop or they would all die. His rice barns were dry as tinder.

So with a torch he set fire to his barns and soon the fire gong started ringing. His neighbors saw the smoke and rushed to help him. Then from their safe perch they saw the tidal wave wash over the fields they had just left.

In a flash they knew not only who had saved them but what their salvation had cost their benefactor. They later erected a monument to his memory bearing the motto, "He gave us all he had, and gave gladly." This poor farmer finished first in the eyes of his community, but it cost him everything he had.

There are not many people in our world like that farmer. He willingly sacrificed himself that others might succeed. Most people do everything they can to better themselves, and think nothing of the people they step on behind as they climb to the top of the heap.

This text is designed to teach us the truth that not everyone who finishes first is victorious. Sometimes those who take the last seat, those who willingly finish last, are the real winners in the game of life.

I think it is clear from reading the Gospels that our Lord's disciples were anything but humble men. They were always in the business of trying to promote themselves. On several occasions, Jesus sought to combat that mentality, but they never seemed to get the message.

In this passage, we see selfish ambition in all of its ugliness. James and John come to Jesus asking for the top seats in His kingdom. Jesus uses this event to teach us all some valuable lessons about leadership, service to others and forgiveness.

As we move through this text today, I want to preach about The High Cost Of Finishing First. I want you to see the thoughts that come out of this passage. I want you to see A Selfish Petition; A Somber Proclamation and A Spiritual Pattern.

As we consider these thoughts, I hope you will see that being first can cost you all you have. I want you to see that being a servant to others is more of a blessing, in the end, than being served by others.

I. v. 35-40 A Selfish Petition

A. v. 35-37 The Request

James and John approach Jesus asking that they be allowed to sit with Him in the highest positions of His coming kingdom. The right hand seat was reserved for the person who was second in rank, while the left hand seat was reserved for the person who was third in rank. These men saw themselves as the leaders among the disciples and they wanted their positions made permanent.

They were literally asking for three things. They wanted Preeminence. They wanted the glory and honor that came from being elevated to a throne. They wanted Proximity. They wanted to be close to Jesus in the Kingdom. They also wanted Power. These men wanted to have positions of great authority in the coming kingdom.

What made them think that they could ask for such things? There are several reasons why they made such a request.

First, they based their request on their relationship to Jesus. Matthew tells us that Salome, their mother, made the request first, Matt. 20:20-21. Salome was Mary's sister. Thus, she was the aunt of Jesus and James and John were His first cousins. They appealed to their relationship as family.

Second, they were merely claiming the promises they had been made. Matt. 19:28. These men had been promised thrones, power and position in the kingdom and they were making a claim on that promise. That may be why Jesus did not rebuke them for their request. They were asking for what would be given to them, but they did not understand the Lord's timing in the matter.

(Note: What bothers me about their request is the timing of it. Jesus had just finished telling these men that He is going to Jerusalem, to be betrayed, rejected and killed, v. 33-34. All these men can think about is climbing to the top of the pile. All they can see is their position on the totem pole. Jesus is about to die for sin and they are playing "who's on first?" It is a cold-hearted, self-centered, unsympathetic request!

These men never did grasp the idea that their leader, the Lord Jesus Christ, was headed to a cross. All they could see was the crown. They wanted the crown without the cross. They wanted the glory without the pain. They wanted the reward without having to pay the price.

The problem with the disciples is the same problem people have today. Most people are not concerned with the glory of God. All they care about is finishing first. All they care about is their own power, position and prestige. The problem with the disciples, and the problem with many of us, is that we are filled with pride. Pride always leads to defeat, Pro. 16:18; 1 Cor. 10:12. What if God gets more glory from my finishing last? A humble, submissive spirit will prevent many failures.)

B. v. 38-39a The Response

Jesus responds by telling them that they have no idea what they are asking for. He confronts them by asking them if they are willing and able to experience all that He is about to endure, Ill. v. 33-34.

When Jesus uses the word "cup" He is talking about "a life experience". When He uses the word "baptism" He is referring to being "submerged or immersed" in that experience. Jesus is saying, "I am about to be immersed in an experience that you cannot imagine. Are you able to go through it too?"

They tell Him that they can. But these men do not understand what awaits Jesus. Their response reveals a complete lack of understanding concerning what Jesus is about to suffer and of the load He was sent to carry.

Jesus is on His way to Calvary where He will bear the sins of His people on a Roman cross. Jesus is about to experience the undiluted wrath of Almighty God against sin and sinners. Jesus is about to die at the hands of the Heavenly Father, Ill. Isa. 53:1-6; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:24.

C. v. 39b-40 The Revelation

Jesus tells them that they will experience His anguish to a degree. They will die for their faith. All of them died a martyr's death, except for John and he was exiled to Patmos and greatly persecuted for his faith. These men would walk the same road that Jesus walked, but they could never endure what He was about to suffer.

Jesus tells them that positions in the kingdom would not be given out based on selfish ambition, but according to the will of sovereign God. The same is true in life! What a person receives in this world in terms of blessings, usefulness and ministry are all determined by the will of God, Ill. John 3:25-30.

(Note: I see preachers all the time who are trying to make a name for themselves. They are always jockeying for position. If they can just meet this preacher, or preach in this meeting, or preach in that church, then the doors will open and everything will fall into place. That is not how it works! God knows where His men are and He promotes them as He chooses; when He chooses and where He chooses. Blessed is the person who serves where they are and allows the Lord to determine the course of their lives and the extent of their ministry.)

II. v. 41-44 A Somber Proclamation

A. v. 41 The Exasperation

When the rest of the disciples heard about what John and James were up to, they became angry. Perhaps they were angry because these fellows were trying to promote themselves over the rest. Or, perhaps they were angry because James and John beat them to the draw and asked Jesus first. Whatever the reason, they are steamed!

Their reaction to what James and John did is no better than the request James and John made. The ten hear what James and John did and they react by becoming angry. People don't always act like we think they should. And, when they don't it is easy to become offended with them. It is so easy to allow anger to creep into our hearts.

People will offend us and we will hold a grudge against them. We will put on the front of righteousness while our hearts are full of unforgiveness. Let me just remind you that God cannot work in that kind of environment! When there is a problem between the saints of God, it hinders the work of God in His church.

God's will is for us to walk in absolute forgiveness, Eph. 4:32; Luke 17:1-5; Matt. 18:21-35. There are people in this room who may be hindering the work of God in this church because you won't forgive others. You have hard feelings over events that occurred 5, 10, 20 years ago or more. You need to get right with that person, so you can be right with the Lord. Others need to seek forgiveness of those you have offended. When there are hard hearts and hurt feelings among God's people, there will be no power of God in the church house!

When there is that kind of situation it tells me that we have allowed our relationships to become too fragile. If our relationships can be broken by misdeeds and misunderstandings, then they are too fragile. The Lord said that our relationships were to be marked by love, John 13:35.

I am supposed to love you with an unconditional, unfailing, unquestioning love. When I do, I can forgive you and walk with you as my brother. But, when I do not love you like I should, I will hold the past over your head.

The problem is not with you or what you may have done. The problem is with me. My love is not right, thus, my heart is not right.

B. v. 42 The Examination

Jesus doesn't allow their anger to simmer. He addresses the issue at hand and calls their attention to the Gentile world around them. He lets them, know that "high seat seeking" is the way of the world. Those who rule in this world rise to the top by grabbing power and oppressing their opponents.

We see that mentality all around us in the world today. This is an election year and every candidate is doing everything in his or her power to come out on top.

You can even find that situation in the church. It seems that every church has one or more people like Diotrephes, 3 John 9-11. There are always those individuals who like to think they run the show and have all the authority. Just for the record, I would rather allow the Lord to run His church than I would to try and usurp His authority.

He wants the disciples, and us, to understand that God has a higher goal for His children.

C. v. 43-44 The Expectation

In these verses, Jesus simply restates an earlier teaching, Mark 9:33-37. These men didn't get first the message, and most of us haven't gotten it either. But, here it is again.

The Lord wants us to know that the path to the top leads through the bottom. If you really want to reach the top, you must start out at the bottom. If you really want to be a leader, you must first learn how to serve.

Jesus uses two words here that are of note. The word "minister" in verse 43 is the word that gives us the word "deacon". That word speaks of a person who "serves others". The other word is the word "servant" in verse 44. That word means "slave".

This idea is this: if we want to be recognized and respected, we must give up all ambition and selfishness. We must live out our days serving others.

It means being willing to get none of the glory. It means being willing to do the most servile and menial of tasks with no thought of receiving recognition or thanks. If we want to come out on top, we must first start by being a slave.

(Note: When Jesus spoke to His men about this issue earlier, Mark 9:33-37, He used a child to teach them about service. Why a child? I think there are several reasons.

First, children in that society were at the bottom of the social ladder. They were viewed as mere property and largely ignored by most adults.

Second, Jesus used a child to teach His disciples about service because children really can't do anything for adults. A child can't enhance a person's position in society. A child cannot add to your success. A child can't make you more important in the eyes of the world. However, a child can teach you much about ministry!

Think about it, every parent in this room knows what happens when you have a new baby. That child demands everything! From day one it must be served, every need must be met by a willing adult. Children come into our homes and they require constant care and attention. If they are ignored, they let you know all about in loud and irritating ways.

When parents have children, they learn what giving and service are all about. When that child is born you give and you give and you give. When that child grows, you give and you give and you give. Often, even after they reach adulthood, you continue to give and you give and you give, often receiving nothing in return.

Jesus used a child because children need to be served, but they cannot serve us in return. That is a lesson we all need to take to heart. Too often, we only serve those who can do something in return for us. The Lord would have us faithfully; selflessly serve others without giving a thought to what we might receive in return.

If you are looking for respect, learn to serve. People respect those who serve them. Respect is earned, it is never demanded.

Far too many people want to be recognized for the things they do. They want their pat on the back. They want to hear "thank you", and "good job." They do what they do because they want to be recognized. They have their reward, Matt. 6:5.

We need people in the church who could care less if they are ever recognized as long as God's work is accomplished. We need people who can see beyond themselves to the needs of others. We need people who willingly become slaves so that others are served. We need people who will graciously step aside when the time is right so that others can serve. That is what we need! Is that what we have?)

III. v. 45 A Spiritual Pattern

(Ill. Jesus uses His impending sacrifice as the ultimate example of sacrificial service. He sets the pattern all of His people are commanded to follow.)

A. The Prominence

The word "even" reminds us of Who Jesus is. He is the Son of God. He is God in the flesh. If anyone who ever walked on this earth should have been served it should have been Jesus.

He could have commanded legions of angels to do His every bidding. Instead, He walked many dusty miles serving those around Him. He could have come to this world as a King and been born in a palace with servants and great wealth. Instead, He was born in a stable, in abject poverty. He did not come to be served, He came to serve.

If our God is willing to serve sinful humanity, we should be willing to serve as well. Some people think they are too good to serve others. Jesus Christ never thought that! He got down into the mud with fallen man so that He could lift him out and change his condition. May God give us that same heart to serve!

B. The Passion

The Lord's passion to serve was such that He willingly took the place of a slave. The greatest example of that can be seen the night before He went to the cross.

When Jesus and His disciples finished their meal in the upper room, Jesus put a towel around His waist and washed His disciple's feet, John 13:1-17. He took the place of a slave and washed the dirty feet of men who would run away before dawn. He washed the feet of Peter who would deny Him three times before dawn. He even washed the feet of Judas Iscariot who would betray Him in to the hands of His enemies that very night.

Jesus freely served those who would break His heart. When the next day dawned, Jesus performed the greatest service of all when He went to Calvary to die on the cross for sinners who hated Him and wanted nothing to do with Him.

Service was His passion. Service was His life. May that same passion grip our hearts! May we freely take the place of slaves and serve others for the glory of God alone!

C. The Price

The cost of service for Jesus was extremely high. It cost Him His very life. Jesus willingly went to His death to save those who cared nothing for Him. He suffered the shame, the pain, the humiliation, and the agony of the cross to serve lost sinners. He experienced the undiluted wrath of Almighty God to serve us. He took the place of a common criminal and was judged as rebel so that sinners could be saved. He willingly entered into death so that others might enter into life.

Why did He do it? He did it because He loves me, Rom. 5:8. He did it because He hates sin, Heb. 9:26. He did it to satisfy God's demand for a perfect human sacrifice, 1 John 2:2. He did it to please the Father, Isa, 53:10. He did it to set me free, 1 Pet. 1:18-19.

What is His reward for this kind of service? It won't be found among men. The majority of humanity hates the name of Jesus and cares nothing for His service or His sacrifice. His reward won't be found in the church. Most churches and most so-called Christians have no understanding of Who Jesus is or what He did.

Our Lord's reward will be found in two places. First, His reward is in the changed lives of men and women who receive Him as their Savior and live out His love in the world, Heb. 12:2. His greatest reward is found in the face of the Father. Because Jesus served humanity so selflessly, God has promoted Him to the pinnacle of glory and worship, Phil 2:5-11.

How did Jesus arrive at such an exalted place? It isn't because He is God! He is there because He took the place of a slave. He is there because He willingly chose the lowest place of all and God elevated Him to the highest place of all.

While you and I will never reach the same place Jesus occupies, the same principle that caused Him to be exalted is at work in your life and mine. Here is what Jesus said, "for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted," Luke 18:14. The Word of God also says, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time," 1 Pet. 5:6.

Conclusion:

It is a paradox, but it is true nonetheless, for the Christian the way up is always down. Is that the path you are walking? Are you actively seeking ways to serve others? We have places of ministry in this church where you can serve, are you serving in them? There are people all around us who need to know about Jesus, are you telling them? There are needs on every hand, are you seeking to meet them? Are you being a servant of God by selflessly serving others? If the Lord has touched your heart about your service, today would be a good day to enlist.

If you are like the ten and you have hard feelings at other for what they have said or done, today would be a great day to make that right. I would make it right with them and then come make it right with God.

If you have never trusted Jesus as your Savior, today would be a good day to bow before Him and receive Him as your Lord. He will receive you, change you and use you for His glory.

Do what He would have you to do today?

I feel a bit sorry for James and John in this story from the Gospel, to be honest. I think they have had an unnecessarily harsh press throughout history because of this passage. They come to Jesus and, in verse 35, we read their request: "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you". And then they get short shrift from Jesus and the rest of the disciples get angry with them. But in actual fact, they are only doing what Jesus had said to them previously. In Matthew 7:7, Jesus says, "Ask, and it shall be given to you…" In John 14:13, Jesus says, "I will do whatever you ask in my name…" So, to be fair to James and John, they must have been a bit confused by the whole situation. Jesus is telling the disciples to ask for things and then, when they do, they get told off and they go down through 2,000 years of history as being bad, selfish, egotistical people. It all seems a bit harsh, really…

And what about the request they make to Jesus: what do we make of this, in verse 36: "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory". Again, that doesn't seem like an unreasonable request. They didn't have the benefit of hindsight like we do. As far as they knew, Jesus would be heading to Jerusalem to set up the Kingdom of God by overthrowing Roman rule and renewing the role of the Temple in traditional Judaism. They were expecting political and spiritual conflict and they were being loyal to Jesus and standing with him in this new world order and so it seems only reasonable that they should think that some rewards will be given in the glorious time to come.

So I want us to be fair to James and John here and not demonise them as selfish, arrogant disciples who thought that they were deserving of the greatest honour. Instead, they were merely doing what Jesus had said for them to do: ask for things - and they were loyally standing with Jesus as he headed towards Jerusalem.

I think it's helpful to see James and John like this because, in this way, I think we can identify better with them.

The truth is that most times when we pray and ask God for things, we are not being particularly arrogant or selfish or egotistical. We are merely expressing to God what we think we need for a happy life or expressing to God what we think would be helpful in a particular situation. Perhaps what we express is right, perhaps it is wrong: but it is rarely driven by arrogance and selfish ego.

Of course, we read in verse 41 that the other disciples were angry with them - but that's not because their motivations were any different or purer than that of James and John but because they thought they might have been pipped at the post for the seats in glory and that they would be missing out for themselves.

So when we read Jesus' words by way of response, I don't think he is telling them off, actually. Instead, he is being gentle with them and he is using this opportunity to teach them what is important in the Kingdom of God: a lesson they needed to learn, and a lesson we need to be constantly reminded of. And what we need to be reminded of are the two hallmarks of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

And the first is this:

1. To be a Christian means to totally submit ourselves to the will of God

James and John had asked for positions of glory for their faithfulness to Jesus but, in verse 38, he simply says, "You do not know what you are asking". And then he draws on two metaphors that James and John would have understood only too well: Jesus says, "Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

Well, the cup that Jesus was about to drink was suffering and death: he prays in Mark's Gospel, "Lord, take this cup away from me". And the notion of baptism in the contemporary Greek language of James and John's day referred to being overcome with calamity and disaster, for example, in Luke 12:50, Jesus says, "I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed!"

So Jesus is saying to James and John, "I am about to be overcome by a huge calamity through which I will suffer and die. Can you go through that?"

And what is the response that James and John give in verse 39? "We are able".

Now how is that for courage of the first order? They have decided to stay with Jesus regardless of what he might suffer. So forget any sense that James and John are to be ridiculed or despised as a result of their selfish request in this passage. Instead, we should respect them and honour them for their courage and loyalty, despite knowing that calamity and suffering and death would befall them too.

And Jesus knows that, and he says to them in verse 39: "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized…" And Jesus was right. James was the first of the disciples to be martyred: in Acts 12:2, we read that "King Herod had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword". And later, John was sent into exile onto the Island of Patmos after having been tortured by the Caesar at the time.

So both James and John did drink of the cup and they were baptized into suffering and yet both of them had said, "We are able". In the face of such suffering, it would have been easy for them to walk away, it would have been easy for them to be bitter towards God because he had not given them what they requested, it would have been tempting for them to be angry with Jesus because he had robbed them of their dreams of glory. But they don't do that. Instead, they humbly submit themselves to the will of God and they say that they are prepared to walk the way of Christ whatever the personal cost to themselves.

That can be a tough lesson for us to learn, can't it? Sometimes, we might have spent so long being faithful to God or might have spent so much time and energy on a particular form of ministry that we think, like James and John, that we deserve a bit of a reward from God. And then, when the reward doesn't come, or when life gets tough for us, we maybe grow bitter or angry towards God or we are tempted to walk away from the faith. We might think, "For goodness sake, God, I have given so much to this church for so long: I have put so much effort in, I have given so much money, I've hardly missed a week of worship, don't I get something in return?" But as much as we may wish it to be otherwise that is not the way of Christian discipleship. It's not how it works.

As Christians, we are called to submit ourselves totally to the will of God. Full stop. Maybe good things will come our way, maybe they won't. But our task is to submit and to follow without seeking a reward.

When we read the Gospel stories, there are two people who were placed on the left hand and right hand of Jesus as he was glorified: the two thieves who were crucified with him on the cross. If you want to sit at Jesus' left side or right side, then you too must be prepared to be crucified – to die to self and then, that honour will be yours…

So first, then, we learn that Christian discipleship is hallmarked by a complete submission to the will of God, without the hope of reward. And secondly,

2. The life of Christian discipleship is hallmarked by serving others

In verse 43, Jesus says, "Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all".

Now this, of course, is a completely counter-cultural idea as much today as it was 2,000 years ago in Jesus' time. There is a contradiction in terms in verse 42, where Jesus says that the Gentile rulers "lord it over" others. In the Kingdom of God, it is impossible to ‘lord it over': instead, we ‘lord it under'.

What I mean is that, Lordship and authority are shown through servanthood, not through claiming power over people. As Jesus says in verse 45, "For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve…" And Jesus is making his point really clearly here: he doesn't refer to ‘the Son of God', which may have put him over human beings. Instead, he refers to ‘the Son of Man', which is far more servant-like.

Jesus' way is to ‘lord it under us', not to ‘lord it over us'.

And if we want to be faithful Christians, then we too must constantly seek ways to ‘lord it under' others: to serve others and to put others above ourselves at all times. That is the way of Christ. That is the way of Christian discipleship. Martin Luther King once wrote, "Life's most urgent question is this: ‘What are you doing for others?'"

To lord it under others is the life to which we are all called and that is what is modeled to us in the life of Jesus himself who came to give his life as a ransom for many.

So in conclusion then, this passage from the Gospels is not really a story about selfish desires at all. It is not a story that allows us permission to think of James and John as arrogant, self-centred people who were out to get whatever they could from Jesus. Instead, they are good and honest followers of Jesus who were merely doing what they thought it was alright to do in asking Jesus for anything they wanted – as he had instructed them to do. But in doing that, Jesus has an important lesson to teach them – and to teach us about the true nature of Christian discipleship.

Being a follower of Jesus is not about reaping rich rewards for having so faithfully served him for so many years or for having been dedicated to his church over a long period of time through the giving of time and money, energy and effort. Christian discipleship is not about reward at all.

Instead, Christian discipleship is about total obedience to the will of God, whether that leads to good things or bad, easy times or hard: we don't become bitter or angry, we don't give in to the temptation to give up…Instead, we endure all things in our walk with Christ.

And secondly, we do not lord it over others but instead try to find ways to lord it under them: to be the servant and the slave of all rather than trying to become an authority figure over them. That is the way of Christ. That is the way of Christian discipleship.

There is a beautiful prayer used in the Methodist Church at the start of every calendar year in which Christians offer themselves back to God. I leave us with it this morning as words that may inspire in us the desire to grow in the spirit of discipleship that Jesus outlines for us here, so that our lives may more fully reflect the way of Christ, the way of the Kingdom of God. The prayer goes like this:

"Lord God, I am no longer my own but yours.

Put me to what you will,
rank me with whom you will;
put me to doing, put me to suffering;

let me be employed for you or laid aside for you,
exalted for you or brought low for you.

Let me be full, let me be empty,
let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and wholeheartedly yield all things
to your pleasure and disposal. Amen."