A Roadside Reminder and Reproof, Part 2

Today from Chuck Swindoll, a bold word of advice to those who assume leadership in the local church on Jesus T is no place for self-serving ambition, personal promotion, shameless narcissism, presumptuous arrogance or bold or even feel the pride you things are more different from our world system whoever wants to be a leader among you be known as the Bible teaches that we should respect those in positions of spiritual leadership. But there's a tendency in some of today's churches to elevate their pastor beyond appropriate levels. So how do we strike the right balance.

According to the Bible.

The tone is set by those in authority and today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll is teaching from Matthew chapter 20 this passage we read Jesus time was counsel to anyone seeking leadership.

He said whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, Chuck titled his message a roadside reminder and reprove please and close our father to be able to remove from our minds. All other distracting thoughts during the next few moments were together that we might be fully focused on the things you have written for us to read and then to apply helpless in the reading to grasp what was meant in the days in which it was said, and of course ultimately be able to bridge across the centuries and see how it applies to our lives in this century. At this time. In fact, this very weakness before us. Thank you in advance, Lord for the conviction you will bring as truth is revealed from your word, and as we grasp from the lips of Jesus from the pen of Matthew what it is you want us to hear and learn and put to use in our lives. Thank you for those people who have shaped our lives who have been models of what Jesus taught for mentors for teachers for parents for friends for colleagues whose lives have been marked by dedication and servant leadership in ways that made our lives richer and better and fuller. Thank you for the things we learn from them, may we in turn will model the same to others, deliver us from seeing these things as being worth something.

Another individual should hear and heed maybe realize you have written this for our learning, that we through the Scriptures might experience a transformed life upriver those who hurt today for whatever reason, those whose pain is intense, some physically, others just as real emotionally and as a result, we are here to find help in order to go on in relief. In order to survive, meet whatever may be the need, however deep it may be no more than what the choir saying is exactly what we feel we do love you.

We love you with our whole heart. We would not follow another like we follow you. We can be any other place today and we want to be here and by being here. We want you to know we wait upon you to minister to us, touch us deeply. Our father speak to us privately down in the depths of our lives in places dealing with things that no one else knows but you know it all our lives before you are open books and because of this we trust you to minister to us. It is our privilege also father from what you have allowed us to earn to give we do it with delight today and we do it with gratitude because we are learning how to be like that through you and from your son who did not come to be served but to serve and to give me that always be true of us, even in random acts of kindness and gracious words and apologies in the kindest of expressions. May we help lift another's load and make that life easier for them to travel commit is these words to you in prayer and these gifts to you in our offerings through Jesus Christ's and everyone said a man listening to Insight for living to study the book of Matthew with Chuck's window. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies and now the message from Chuck that he titled a roadside reminder and reproof the way to Jerusalem on the east side of the Jordan area called Korea they're making their way south in the crowd as large Jesus knowing there will not be another journey back to Galilee because his death is imminent. 12 oh away from the crowd.

We read he took them aside privately and he told them of what was ahead for him. What you don't know about reading Matthew 20 is that he's already told in this twice in Matthew 16 he told in Matthew 17 he told him. In Matthew 20.

Now he tells them yet again and he will tell them again before he is arrested and put on trial but look at what he says look at the seriousness of his flock to that with them.

Listen were going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. They will hand him over to the Romans to be mocked, flogged with a whip and crucified. It was as if he was talking another language to them. They were even on the same page, though they have been told time and time and time and time again I will die. I will be raised. I will be crucified, I will come back from the dead, not on the same page. They didn't understand the significance of his word. It was all hidden from them. Think about their position in the kingdom. And that's the change of subject. When you get to verse 20 I'm in your reading along, and it is really in the depths of seriousness when you read the verses that I just read 17 in 19 you get to verse 20 and suddenly the attention turns them the mother of James and John the son of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor was your request, he asked remember what he just told them you remember just talk about his own death, his own suffering his own resurrection is been all about that and he said what will what is it your request. It's that kind of response in and she replied your kingdom and see what they're thinking about see what she's thinking about now the same page in your kingdom. Please let my two sons sit in places of honor. Next see you one on your right and the other on your left. Who is this woman just even named here she is called by John get this Jesus is mother's sister, which would make her Jesus earthly aunt were family were worth give notice longer you know any of these other men you grew up with us. You know my sons.

Good boys know to be one on your left and one on your right stop when the world are we doing thing about who sits on the right or left of Jesus in the midst of a conversation about his death and resurrection you do that when you are focused not on what is being said.

But on what is on your mind and let me go a little further and tell you that they set her up.

I say that because of what appears in verse 22 Jesus said you do not know what you are asking you is plural. She's singular, so he says as he looks at the boys. The men, James and John. You guys don't know what you're asking. Don't know what you're asking for and then he goes a step further to bring them back to the subject. Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering that I'm about to break you realize what is ahead. You know what, following me will include Dion the heaviness of what I'm facing. They not only had missed this point they misunderstood the whole issue of kingdom promotion in his kingdom lifestyle and kingdom greatness in Jesus lifestyle is not about who sits on the right and who sits on the left is not about title is not about who's on top.

What they didn't get is, there must be suffering before there can be significance there. There must be brokenness before there is usefulness that there must be humility before there is authority granted that there must be the bitter cup of praying to endure before there is promotion that so we asked them, you realize what it is you're asking do you do you or are you ready to take this bitter cup of suffering and look at their answer. Look at how shallow Osher were in the what whatever. Just make sure were on the right and left. That's the idea Jesus comes back with a very firm you will indeed drink from this bitter cup, you have no idea what your future holds.

The pain I have in front of me. I told you about, but you've no idea what you will, that as a result of following me in the years the past and furthermore regarding who sits on the right and left. That's my father's business. I don't walk with you along this road to Jerusalem, trying to figure out who's going to sit where I'm I'm I'm wrestling with what is in front of me. I'm imagine that many women you have a crucifixion in front of you and all the torture that goes with it and are talking about who's going to be first or second by the way, in case you wonder if the other disciples were thinking noble of them to think like that. The next verse they were the other 10 probably were thinking why did we think you know what they think they are. So Jesus again calls them together to drive home the point of this is the part you cannot miss. Don't miss this on the page stay there with me because it is here, Jesus brings the whole thing and out of the open that anybody can grasp. If you will focus on. He begins by describing the F moss. The Gentile world. Look at it. He called them together. Verse 25 and he said you know you know this. The rumors of this afternoon is plural for F moss. It means the Gentiles, we would call it the world system. Call it that the rulers of the world system lorded over their people and their officials flaunt their authority over those under them. Stop right there right there at that.

So it is that that's the way it is in the corporate world you began at them. At the pretty much at the base you get out of school and by the grace of God and the opening that's made available to you.

You hire in and you started and if not at very near the bottom and you begin to work your way we call it up and you go up the corporate ladder, working your way toward what we call the top position that's way it is in the system in the military world is like that you begin is about private or is the lowest form of second Lieut., whether relisted or officer you begin at the bottom and you work your way up in the higher the rank, the greater the authority and the greater the authority the more you are able to if you will rule over those under you and believe me the military are certainly under those who are in right over you.

That's what you saluted them they don't salute you.

It's true in the medical world item and come to me. Following the first service this morning and he told me I work with a group of medical doctors and I will judge all things he said. But he said what I do is I work with those who are addicted as a hold of the world so that you run across this. He said all the time something happens when a person gets a medical degree.

Rarely does he become increasingly more humble and serving party. There are exceptions. I know that. So don't write me. I know that but is the fact that they're the exception that the tragedy would become when we get more and more educated, more servant hearted just doesn't like to become more arrogant know it all the right, if you will, or the freedom not the right, but the freedom to flaunt it to flaunt it. It's if you don't learn some of this about the world system. There's a name for you is called unemployed. You better know the system and you better know who's back to scratch. I got it. So Jesus is a realist. This is realistic, 21st-century information, just as it was first century. All those people look at the word over the lorded over. They flaunt their authority over and look at the word under under them. Your under the number 1 1/2 with the office on the corner, the top floor.

On the one with the thicker carpet on the one that has the bathroom connected to my office. On the one that has my own private parking place I II got the perks on their says the one who flaunts it over the others. That's what is the system look at the next sentence.

If you see nothing else this day. Look at verse 26, but among you get will be different. There are five words in the Greek language that are translated like this, not us. Is it among you and the emphasis is on the not is placed out of order for emphasis, not so among you disciples not so among you who follow Christ. That's not the way it works in the family of God among you will be different. There will be no price or lording it over there will be no flaunting of authority on Jesus team. There is no place for self-serving ambition personal promotion, shameless narcissism, presumptuous arrogance or bold even feel the pride.

Few things are more different from our world system than that that isn't enough, Jesus goes one step further and describes the role of his followers, and he's talking to the 12 who have walked with him longer than anyone else on the planet.

They been his close followers. He has been their mentor so he tells them they must learn this if no one else when I'm gone. This is what you must model and literati puts it, whoever wants to be a leader among you may notice her as a servant, and whoever wants to be first among you be known as someone else's sleeve or helper. If sleeve offend you out.

No quibble over the term. You know what is saying the one who says, may I help you to check cannot be of assistance to you or would you have done wrong I've ever really owe you an apology for doing what I did. I was wrong. I was out of line.

I spoke to quickly or I came across like I was a know it all and I'm not. And on and on the way servants work it sometime call random acts of kindness where you do for others without being goaded, having attention called to it least of all by you. To serve in your in it to give one a good model last verse of our passage, even the son of man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a payment or a ransom in a culture that puts leaders on a pedestal.

The style of leadership that Jesus promoted seems backwards. Jesus said whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant. This is insight for living and Chuck Swindoll is midway through a study in Matthew chapter 20.

He's titled today's message a roadside reminder and reproof to discover the variety of resources we have available for today's topic, please visit us online@insideworld.org maybe today's teaching has inspired you to dig deeper into the book of Matthew on your own. If that's the case, let me remind you about the searching the Scriptures. Studies are easily accessed online. Feel free to print out the PDF and use the notes in your personal quiet times and pastors and leaders can use these notes for teaching a class or preparing a sermon to access the searching the Scriptures guide for Chuck's daily teaching go to insight.org/studies and as we conclude today's program I'm inviting you to become one of our monthly companions. The steady financial support from our monthly companions has accelerated our pursuit of an audacious God sized dream that is to bring insight for living to all 195 countries of the world. We refer to this mission as vision 195. We can accomplish this goal by keeping her focus on the lives that are impacted through your generosity. For instance, one of your fellow listeners left a comment that said, thank you so much Pastor Chuck Swindoll. I listen to your messages every morning at 8 AM.

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I enjoy every bit of the messages God bless. By becoming a monthly companion you can have your own ministry by participating in vision 195 to sign up right now. Call us if you listing in the United States, call 800-772-8888 at phone number once again is 800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/monthly companion you heard him teach about the holy land using word pictures to make us feel like we are actually strolling through the old city learning about Jerusalem is fascinating for sure, but seeing the land of Israel with your own his his life changed.

In fact, is absolutely magnificent.

And now you can see Israel with Chuck Swindoll and the gracious hosts and experts assembled by Insight for living ministries. Join us on an unforgettable 12 day tour March 6-17, 2022 at special sites along the way, I will teach from God's word will worship at the Mount of Beatitudes and share the Lord's table at the garden to impact will Sail the Sea of Galilee together and will visit places where Jesus walked and talked to learn more or call 1-888-447-0444. Just imagine walking along the sacred sites and seeing the Bible to come to life before your very mark your calendar for March 6-17, 2022 and make your reservation by calling 1-888-447-0444 or go to insight.org/events insight for living ministries tour to Israel is paid for and made possible by only those choose to attend now for my friend Dave Speicher when Shepherd inviting you to join us again next time when Chuck Swindoll continues her study in the book of Matthew right here on insight for living.

The preceding message, a roadside reminder and reproof was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

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