Pastor Cody Harlow 10/27/24

[Music] for e for e all ready e EX for e so good to see everyone here this morning welcome to First Baptist here if you a guest with us this morning I would invite you or not just guest anybody I would to utilize this tool that is in front of you there's a place for us to get if you're a guest with us if you have a prayer request this is the tool to use for that this coming up on November women on Mission will have their next meeting at 12 o'clock it will be up in room 44 and it will be a potluck coming up on November 9th there's the Festival of the Arts from 9 to 3 the Lake Area Arts Council we that church night November 15th November 17th is our next if you've not already put that on your calendar I would strongly encourage you to do so a part if you're attender or a member please for being a part of that at that meeting we will be presenting the administration team will be presenting the 2025 budget and there will be a potluck dinner before we have the meeting Joy group Christmas party is December 3rd 6:00 to 8:00 pm Pat Mitchell or someone from The Joy group to get your tickets sign up for that may have noticed there's a stack of photo Church director here in the Next Room I've been asked to inform us all those are only for those had their picture taken so just be aware U we have had

A lot of new people join us since pictures were taken and since that was formed so just be aware of that I think that's all ANS for now so let's let's go to the Lord and pray how your week went but I would invite you now just as we prepare for worship just to quiet your heart just to allow the Holy Spirit to take your thoughts your attitude and just and be receptive to what he might have for you this morning through the worship in music through worship giving through word of God these different parts of our time together that just invite you now just to yeah father God we thank you and praise you that we get to morning with our brothers and sisters thank you and pray gift of your son Jesus Christ who has given us eternal life through his sacrifice and I pray that father as worship together that Lord we would just be mind ful in a fresh way of what the Gospel to us how it influences our actions how we live our all these things father Lord not for ourselves not for our Lord but even as we are here this morning to be refreshed and prepar and made ready to go back out again this week Lord for we have for us that we would be ready and equipped through your word through the fell meet those things that you have for us and that you would be honored and glorified I pray that Lord now as words as we listen to the this music Lord as we just consider these things that you would use them to just continue to right mind the toes to receive the word that you've PR that Cody has prep you've given

Him we ask all these things now in your name amen this morning I'll be reading from Psalms 25 5 beginning in verse 8 and I'll be reading just verses 8-4 and it says good and upright is the Lord therefore he instructs sinners in the way he leads the humble in what is right and teaches the humble is all the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and for those who keep his Covenant and his testimonies for your name's sake oh Lord pardon my guilt for it is great who is the hears the Lord him will he instruct in the way that he should choose his offspring shall inherit the land for those who fear Him and He makes known to them his Covenant amen if you would like to stand as we sing together there is a [Music] fountain drawn [Music] fromel and [Music] their guilty St and S St [Music] the my sins [Music] and all [Music] mying love my and shall [Music] be shall redeeming [Music] love I [Music] theet song I power to I see to I'll see my power to SA

[Music] I [Music] sing thank for coming today God bless you thank you gentlemen gentlemen for help with the offering to today let's pray Lord we thank you for your so many blessings us that you bestow more than we even need and we just thank you for the opportunity to give back to you that your kingdom and your church be honored glorified in your blessed name we pray amen as you guys know last week we started doing a catechism to describe what we believe as Baptists and the question this week is should everyone believe that there is a God is the Scriptures up there okay absolutely if y'all want to y'all can read the Scriptures with me starting with Hebrews 11: 6 Scriptures say and without faith it is impossible to please him for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him Psalm 14:1 says this there is no God they are corrupt they do abominable none does good let's stand and let worship together saying Lord I need [Music] you I confess here my without you I fall aart you're the heart sing that again I conf here I find my rest without you I you're the My Heart Lord I need oh I you

Every I need you my rightous oh God how I need [Music] you deep [Music] is where you are and where you [Music] are H is Christ in [Music] me Lord I need you I need [Music] my one defense my God how I need you to rise [Music] you when Temptation comes my way when I canot fall on you Jesus My Hope and Jesus you're my and St I need [Music] are I need you my one defense [Music] my you more [Music] time every I need you my one right how I need you're my one defense my right oh God how I need [Music] once H dear bu my life

Up all this world [Music] all I want I have count L and worthless now [Music] comp you is [Music] my all you're the best you're my joy my and I love [Music] you now my [Music] heart know you to be found [Music] to I could not earn all [Music] surpass KN [Music] you there is no [Music] you're my the best you're joy and I love know of [Music] you in your death so with you to live and [Music] you're my you're my joy my righteous [Music] love and I love you [Music] God that is our hearts prayer that we would know you more pray that every person that is to listen in that our hearts would be softened to your truth that we would Beed into what you have ordained that we would die to and to live for Christ we thank you Lord for Desiring for using us as a vessel to further your

Kingdom God and I pray that you are glorified above all and it's in that your name we pray amen well if you have your Bible and I hope that you do please turn with me to Mark chapter 10 verses 32- 45 is where we're going to be Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem as we head into the holidays Jesus is kind of doing the same thing where he is about to go into Holy Week which I know it's not Easter but God's word stands on its own and so that's where we're heading couple of things real quick be praying for Linda gimi and her mom as you know we're down our pianist and that's just she fell last night Linda's mom and so got a laceration and so we want to want to just encourage y'all to be praying for Linda's mom pray for safety in that it also makes it unique when those things happen the Saturday night before and so whether or not the worship is got the instrumentation that you love or not God is glorified most When people's hearts are engaged with their Lord amen and so thank you guys for just worshiping the Lord It prepares my heart to preach through the ministry of the congregation we're talking today about Christ The Suffering servant right now we're not even quite at Jericho instead we are on the road and today we're are learning about Jesus Christ The Suffering servant the suffering servant term is not a term that I invented or any Theologian invented it's a ready to harvest a ready to harvest but the laborers are few and father es but the laborers are few and father especially in today's climate we're so especially in today's climate we're so tempted to blame the field Lord but the problem's not the field it's the labor tempted to blame the field Lord but the problem's not the field it's the

Laborers and so help and so help us God to help us God to be willing laborers to be willing laborers dying to ourselves and living for Christ dying to ourselves and living for Christ help us to help us to understand what that means based upon what your word says understand what that means based upon what your word says and we just ask Lord that you would and we just ask Lord that you would help us to glorify you more and more each day help us to glorify you more and more each day in Jesus name in Jesus name amen make sure it's working okay all right as we said the third time all right as we said the third time Christ he is telling Christ he is telling the disciples exactly what is going to happen the disciples exactly what is going to happen and he explains and he explains the purpose in him going to Jerusalem to go the purpose in him going to Jerusalem to go and to die and here he makes four very brief commitments in this first little section that we're little section that we're looking at about what is going to happen he has told them that they looking at about what is going to happen he has told them that they that he is going to be delivered over to the chief priests to the scribes that word delivered is a term used to describe judgment that word delivered is a term used to describe judgment judgment is what that term delivered means it's not like a pizza it's not describing like that it is handing one over to death to be delivered into the hands and there is going to be a mock trial it's going to take place a little over a week in Christ's life and this would all be fulfilled he says that he will be condemned to death according to Jewish law blasphemy is punish by death

The in the trial that was trumped up the and the trial that was trumped up were not true Jesus was and is God In the Flesh and God cannot blaspheme himself he it can't done false but the Jews they couldn't exercise capital punishment they mission to execute anyone says that he was going to be over to the third is that they will mock him they will spit on him they will fog him they will kill him to Matthew's account from what Christ suffered on that Good Friday then he released them barabus and having ured Jesus to delivered him crucified soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor's headquarters gathered the whole batt it's about six and they stripped him and put a Scarlet robe on him and twisting together a crown of thorns they put it on his head and put a re right hand and kneeling before him they mocked him saying King of the Jews and they spit on him they took the Reed and struck him on the head when they had mocked him they stripped him the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to be crucified that is what our Lord came to accomplish bit of it because it goes on to describe his crucifixion the last commitment that Christ makes after that third day is that he will right and in all this he's emphasizing his entire purpose in his first Advent he came to fulfill the Jesus he is the L of God slain from the foundation World Jesus is plan a to the problem he still is he still is Jesus was not unwilling to lay down his life for us he is love incarnate staring down the barrel of sining toward it yes he did pray in the garden Lord if there is any way to let

Cup pass from me will be done and he is still willing to go to the Cross to redeem us died to and Jesus he knew what his purpose was to come and to die as a sacrifice for sin if you're taking notes about why this passage okay if we are to walk in Christ's likeness we must be like Jesus and embrace Christ's mission for suffering we must when the cross is Central to our lives that means that we die daily to ourselves and we follow him because his path is the cross before Christians were known as Christians you know we were described as the way over and over again in the book of Acts it refers to as the way and what is that way it's the way of Christ it's the way of Christ so embrace the Christ of is embracing suffering embracing the trials and the tribulations that we will go through it's a daily journey and it reminds of what in surrendering what our plans and our desires and our wants might be your plan awesome for your life you might have everything mapped out from point A to point B and you're with your plan it might be a really good plan it might a lot of happiness and a lot of Joy but that may not be God's plan for you God's plan may be hardship and trials and struggles and tribulations and persecutions in fact I would say more often not it is now as it is within this context that this of thisd that they Jesus about this in the synoptic gopel Mark that's how it goes and so Jesus is talking about his suff crucifix and

You know gives him that promise of the resurrection and James John these SE are the two of the that really in they're the sons of thunder and so they walk up to Jesus and they say teacher we want you to do for us whatever we ask and that's pretty interesting right it's not recorded in Matthew chapter 8 context of talking about church discipline he talks about this says again I say to you if two on Earth or agree on Earth about anything they ask it will be done for them by my Father in heaven for where two or three are gathered in my name there I am among them or there am I among them so these two men mom depending on which Gospel you're reading they take Jesus at his word they come together they sit at your right and your left hand as you enter that place of Glory why are they kind of thinking about that place of Glory well assuming that the Messiah is going to Jerusalem and they're saying Jes up here in just I don't know maybe another day or can we sit at your right and your left hand take the throne can we do that of course the others were indignant I'm ahead of myself but these two men they take Jesus and they give him that request and it's a big one in his right and the left hand of the son of God the highest positions of honor the absolute highest I don't think that any one of if Jesus were like you know to look at any one of us and he were to say come and sit at my right or my left hand I think that we might about that like no I can't sit there someone we better than me you know Abraham's seat that's seat that's Moses's seat that's someone someone way moreable than Cody they don't in that light they're the

Disciples in her group and this just shows just the disciples they completely missed it in fact Luke 18 He restates how much they missed it in three different ways this is just a verse but they understood they did not grasp what he said just over and over they didn't get it they didn't get it didn't get it and I thank the Lord for that because sometimes I don't get and this is why your request comprehend the plain teaching of the suffering servant what it mean to sit at the suffering servants left and his right is why he ask them are you able to drink the cup which I drink are you baptized with the baptism with which I baptize and out of ignorance they say yeah we can do that of course we can no clue a little over a week they're going to completely abandon their post they're going to run away that they will suffer in ways the first Apostle to be martyred was James the first Apostle John he was the last one you can read about in Acts 12 this about that time Herod the king laid violent hand on some who belonged to the church he killed James the brother of John with the sword and when he saw that pleased the Jews he proceeded to arrest Peter also this was during the days of unleavened bread in iusus he was a church historian he was up almost as famous as Herodotus guys like Josephus historians eus he lived in the late first century and he records Clement testimony which from an eyewitness testimony of what happened there in Acts chapter 12 this is not authoritative this church history it says that James he was led to

And he was accused by a man name named Josiah saw James bearing Tony of Christ and Josiah was confessed okay I believe this now chrisan and both James and Jos were being led away together to be beheaded and he begged James to forgive him and James reached over gave him an Embrace kissed him and said my brother be peace on you and they were both beheaded same day John after many years of teaching teaching and suffering exiled onto the island of Patmos by Emperor and there he was a for many years he was vilified John they Dr the cup of death just like Jesus they drank the cup of suffering baptized with the same but Jesus clear that to give those seats of honor at his left and his right hand are not his to give in fact this is a good point for on for a little bit self Glory humility as we grow in our rejection of things like vanity the Puritans used to talk about vanity all the time as we grow in our rejection of self Glory we grow in our love for the Lord worship him in our service he is pleased when we get rid of those sinful attitudes when we deny when we deny our sinful actions and we through the power of the Holy Spirit it's a mysterious work for sure it's not something that we just in our own strength and that many Sinners they can be good they can behave well but without Christ it's totally insufficient we need Jesus and it's in this situation that and John the request it highlights the state of their hearts it was full of desire for position like the Pharisees who were concerned

About position influence and power called to examine our hearts prior weakness over H so do you desire recognition and honor I don't mean you know out of your way to or that you're humbly working and that you would just hat on the back and have some appreciation or something I'm not talking about that what is your motivation for serving the Lord young men that they want to pulpits because they want they want their names on the radio and have their own websites and write their own books and things like that there's PL of them out more do you want him to be famous you want people to talk about how wonderful you are and how good of a speaker you are how good of a singer how faithful of a servant you are what's your motivation or do you just simply desire to praise the Lord and bless him what's your desire True Discipleship is not about taking a better position it's about walking the path of Christ that way of suffering now don't misunderstand me Christians are called to influence we are called to be salt to our communities we are called to be light to our world we are we are called to be influencers but we're not called to influence people for ourselves we're called to influence people for the sake of the kingdom of God Mark 10:42 Jesus he once again puts the goal of discipleship straight at the Forefront and Jesus he called them to him and said to them you know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them and their great ones exercise Authority over them but it shall not be so among you but whoever would be great among you must be your servant and whoever would be first among you must be the slave of

All must be slave of all three applications here for the Christian first thing is leading by serving you see when you work when you volunteer when you raise your children whatever you are called to focus on and care for their needs Christian parents Christian employees Christian bosses Christian leaders we aren't called to just make decisions and give orders or anything like that we're called to lead in humility and as an example the Gentile leaders the unclean according to these disciples they lorded it over the people that they LED you know shortly after America defeated the British people people were calling for General George Washington to become the leader of our nation in fact there were many that wanted to establish a brand new monarchy here in America could you imagine us having a king that'd be crazy' be awful as what it would be but they were figuring it out if someone is nominated and elected to be the president of the United States how does that work how long do they serve well four years sounded reasonable but how many terms I mean Washington could have just kept on going but he didn't he did he viewed himself as a leader and a servant of the people and so he neglected being that first man of the United States and returned after two terms and that was an example for every president up until FDR but you know we ought to be leading by Serv serving secondly we should be intentional with our acts of service we don't accidentally become servants we have to look for ways be proactive in ways to serve the saying is see a need meet a need right and we see this in the example of God it wasn't Adam that asked for a Savior it was God who said I will send you a Savior God is the one that initiated it God is

The one that brought it to completion it wasn't the disciples that asked Jesus to wash their feet it was the Lord that got down and washed their feet and many people they won't serve unless they're asked to but the example that Christ gives is better and we should follow it so teens don't do extra chorge just to try to get some additional privileges blow your parents mind and do something a little extra for them this week amen listen if you work and your coworker is struggling and you've got a little bit of time pitch in and help your coworker instead of knocking off 30 minutes early be a blessing husbands knock out a chore for your wife do what you can to help her to be a blessing yes you work hard most of the men that I know work really hard to provide for their families but just because we're off the clock at work doesn't mean that we're off the clock at home also minister in meekness the attitude of our hearts is not supposed to be like James and John but like Jesus the principle that Jesus teaches is that if we are to be great in the kingdom of God then we must be a servant that word in the Greek is diaconos it's where we get our word for Deacons and this is talking about the ACT we have an office of Deacon in our church the office of Deacon is for people that are humble servants a deacon that doesn't serve is not a deacon at all they're sorry is what they are when you serve in a local congregation or with Christians or out in the community or wherever it is you are doing that just like a deacon does it doesn't make you a deacon but it is called beaconing but also excuse me but in fact Jesus he uses a different word here he uses that word

Slave and that's a different word in the Greek that's the word dlos which is how Paul most often describes himself when he says a servant or a bond servant of Christ Jesus he uses that word not as a willing servant but as one that is bondage you see we have been bought at the price of Christ's life we are not our own anymore yes we have been set free from sin but we have been set free in order to be enslaved to Christ and I know that makes a lot of people uncomfortable but it's true you have been bought therefore honor God with your life with your body this teaches us another big Point here yeah which is to practice servant leadership in every sphere of Our Lives Many people may not see your service okay and that's okay not everyone needs to know what your business is don't let the left hand know the right hand is doing but someone should someone should be on that receiving end of your service because we don't just simply serve the Lord we also serve to be a blessing to others as well now verse 45 is oftentimes called the key verse in the Book of Mark remember that The Book of Mark it was written to Christians in Rome close to close to 50 60% of the population here very soon in history would be slaves in that City all sorts of cultures all sorts of languages were there in that Melting Pot of a metropolis of the ancient world and there is this message of God sending his son to the Earth for the reason to be a servant for even the son of man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many Jesus Christ the second member of the godhead the word that became flesh didn't leave the courtroom of Heaven the throne room of Heaven to receive positions of wealth and honor

And Prestige and glory on Earth but came to serve and it wasn't just by healing the blind the deaf the mute the lame it wasn't primarily by casting out demons those things definitely validated his message and his ministry they fulfilled prophecy but the primary reason he came was to lay down his life into purchase actual Redemption for those of us that would believe Christ's atonement didn't just make salvation possible it actually had an effect Jesus didn't do 99% of the work and left the woman 1% for us 1% of the work is we can't do it we are dead in our trespasses and sins Jesus's atonement is sufficient for you and I on the basis of Faith because the just shall live by faith Christ he lived a life of sacrifice and he offered himself up as the perfect sacrifice to make us a pleasing Living Sacrifice that serves others to share the story of his sacrifice I'll say that again Christ lived a life of sacrifice and offered himself up as the perfect sacrifice to make us a pleasing Living Sacrifice that serves others to share the story of his sacrifice we are a sacrificial people our whole whole lives as Christians are oriented around the atonement of God he made ransom for us who was Christ sacrificial Ransom made to well it helps to go back to Isaiah 53 it helps us to understand who the S suffering servant was and why he suffered in the first place and Isaiah 53 10 it says yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him he has put him to G grief when his soul makes an offering for Guilt who receives guilt offerings it's not Satan Satan doesn't receive guilt offerings it's the father it is the sacrifice of Christ that pleased the father and as we

Enter into Christ by faith believing that he paid the sin debt for you and for me that blood is applied to our hearts and we are made new and so God doesn't see us as anyone that has any remaining sin debt your debt is paid when you come to Christ praise the Lord that he doesn't see you as still owing something but he sees you as guilt free as pure as holy as he sees his own son Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of servant leadership and you think about the many that are included who get to benefit from Christ's AC of sacrificial service what kind of people are the many people like me people like you I Know Myself pretty well the many I was once a liar a cheat full of lust and hate love Darkness I hated people but God saved me by his grace by his good pleasure he redeemed me he put his Holy Spirit inside of me and I'm one of the many and if you're a part of the family of God then you're part of the many too praise the Lord and if you're a follower of Christ then you're called to also be a servant this means to embrace Christ's mission of suffering to reject self- glory and accept humility and practice servant leadership in every sphere of Our Lives this whole passage is Christ's Master Class on service and it's full of giving ourselves over to the Lord for his purpose and walking in it now what if we're not doing that okay because none of us serve perfectly okay I think of Schindler's List love that movie it's an excellent movie and I love that ending scene where he's looking at the ring this ring this ring four people could save four people this car 20 people you know he's thinking

More and more and more we're not going to do it perfectly we're not perfect yet so what should we do if we're not doing it perfectly well one we should remind ourselves that Christ is the best example of humility and service he's the example that we should all look at he's our Sovereign King he is good he rules He reigns right now and yet even though he rules and Reigns right now you know what he's still doing is he's still serving by interceding for you and I before the father because of his tremendous love for us so look to his example and secondly rest in the finished work of Christ we have been ransomed by his blood our debt is paid we are freed by Christ now he deserves our Allegiance and sometimes we are going to crush it other times we may fall short but thank the Lord that he is still working on us and in US for his honor and for his glory amen head heart hand head God wants you to know followers of Christ are called to embrace self-denial and servant leadership this Echoes Jesus's teaching here and it provides an example of his willingness to suffer and serve you and I we are called to walk the way of Christ which is the way of death to ourselves and life in Christ heart God he wants you to believe that as his ambassadors we are called to meet those needs as best as we can and to share the Gospel nope that's not it that's an old thing sorry that's that's last week I think yeah sorry about that God he wants you to believe that Jesus Christ willingly suffered and sacrificed himself to redeem Humanity so X that sorry this demonstrates God's ultimate love and grace to you and I Christ willingly suffered and served us by going to the cross and it is by this path that he glorified the father in hand yeah this

One's right okay God he wants you to commit daily to serve the Lord and others with humility as an act of worship to reflect on Christ sacrificial love and to remember God's purpose in sending his son God sent his son to save the world and redeem it and as we reflect Christ naturally this means that we will serve others as well we're going to sing a song Acappella you guys know the song Make me a servant amen you guys know that one we're all going to stand and we're going to sing together after I pray make me a servant and I want you to sing it just because the lyrics are on the screen I want you to sing that as a song of response and prayer that Lord I don't know what this means but I am going to be a servant for you because I love you and I just desire to be yours so if you would bow your heads and close your eyes with me and then we will respond in Prayer by singing this song Father we love you so much and we do thank thank you for the perfect example of Christ his suffering his sacrifice God help us and help me Lord I fall short of that goal all the time I just pray that you would help all of us to consider where we're at Lord And ways that we can serve ways that we have served things that we are doing God Lord I just pray that we would do everything that we can within our power to be pleasing but more than that to rely on your power God when we fall short to look to you the author and perfector of our faith we just ask that today that you would bless us keep us God and help us to conform ourselves into the suffering servant more and more by the power of the spirit may this be done in Jesus precious name amen make me a servant humble and me Lord let me lift

Up those who are weak and may the prayer of my heart be make me a [Music] servant make me [Music] Serv make me a today Father we do pray that would be the Cry of our hearts that many might be one to the kingdom we love you help us God in Jesus name amen