Sunday, 25th October 2021
Pastor Robert Morris (Guest Speaker)
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name. (John 1:12)
When we believe, we become a child of God, but we want to continue to become, we want to become a follower.
Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (Mark 1:17)
Jesus wants to make us ‘become’ a person, who is concerning about other people.
1) We are Born Self-Centred
We are all born self-centred, this is our old nature, this is our fallen nature.
Then 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. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:33-35)
The disciples were arguing who was the greatest, and Jesus knew what they were talking about. We are also like the disciples, born self-centred, everything focuses on ‘me’ and ‘I’. We think that others don’t listen to ‘me’, the style of the church doesn’t suit ‘me’, everyone has wronged ‘me’… this is the way we are, ‘I don’t like this’, ‘I don’t like that’
Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” (Mark 10:35)
It’s just like how we say to God, the Creator of the Universe, ‘I want You to be my servant, I want You to do whatever I ask’. The Bible taught us to ask, but to ask in His Will. It also taught us not to ask for ourselves, not to be selfish.
And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” (Mark 10:36-37)
The disciples knew Jesus could do what they could not do, but they wanted to be the next one right under Jesus and over everyone else. Jesus later taught them about how His cup they could not drink, but then the disciples sent their mother to ask the same question.
But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” (Matthew 20:22)
We don’t know what we are asking. A lot of times when we are praying, we are praying about ourselves. But Jesus sees a bigger picture He knows what we pray for actually do us no good. We want to make our own decisions, we want to be the boss. But we don’t know what we are walking into.
2) We are Born Again Christ-Centred
This is a process, if we don’t come down and give Christ the throne then we won’t be saved. We are not perfect and we never will be but we must put Christ on the Throne.
And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. 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. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:41-45)
The other disciples were greatly displeased with James and John. So Jesus taught them the truth. The disciples thought that He was coming to set up a new kingdom on earth. Jesus was coming to set up a new kingdom, not in the way to overthrow the Roman Empire, but in their hearts.
Jesus told them what was going to happen, He will be crucified and raised on the third day, but the disciples still didn’t believe it because it was not what they planned and imagined.
A growing and maturing Christian will become less and less self-centred and more and more Christ-centred. Becoming a follower is a process, yes we are followers but we need to continue following.
3) We Become Like Jesus
He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30)
He must become greater and greater in me and I must become less and less. God is already great and He can’t be greater but we must let Him be greater and greater in us. So people see Jesus, not ‘me’.
So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. (John 13:12-15)
Jesus didn’t say that if I wash your feet you must wash mine. But He said to them when I serve you, you will serve the others. We must be more and more like Jesus, when we serve others we don’t expect them to serve us back but to serve other people. When we become more like Jesus, we become other-centred.
In Jesus’ time, when people went in a room, a servant will wash their feet. But during the last supper there were only Jesus and the disciples in the room, but not one of the disciples thought about washing Jesus’ feet. Jesus got up and served the disciples, and He taught them to serve one another. Because we become other-centred, we must first be like Jesus.
We want to become the follower of Jesus, to be more like Jesus, so the world can see Jesus.
Rev Daniel Poon (Senior Pastor)
We know we live on earth and we have a lot of challenges about our faith. Jesus said He has already overcome all this. There are a lot of challenges in our lives to follow Jesus, but He promises to always be with us. Let us pray like Elisha praying for his servants, for our eyes to be opened straight away. Then we’ll see God is the provider and the Savour. He has already surrounded us with angels, we just need to take easy, don’t need to fight and just live in the purpose God created us. Let us live in joy and thankfulness. Amen!