for who or what determines a person's<\/p>\n
importance do others determine and<\/p>\n
Define<\/p>\n
that are there cultural norms and<\/p>\n
traditions<\/p>\n
involved do we dictate and pronounce<\/p>\n
that ourselves<\/p>\n
is our social status defined by our<\/p>\n
self-perception and you may be thinking<\/p>\n
to all these questions<\/p>\n
yes as we read the Bible today consider<\/p>\n
the words and teachings of<\/p>\n
[Music]<\/p>\n
Jesus how does he address this notion<\/p>\n
this idea of social<\/p>\n
status how does the Gospel of Jesus<\/p>\n
Christ dismantle the way the world<\/p>\n
defines who we<\/p>\n
are yeah the way that others Place us<\/p>\n
here and there in<\/p>\n
society as we read the words of Jesus<\/p>\n
let him speak to your heart<\/p>\n
and mind and challenge your<\/p>\n
thinking and ask yourself what part of<\/p>\n
my life needs the restorative work that<\/p>\n
only God can<\/p>\n
bring who does God say that I<\/p>\n
am<\/p>\n
let me pray for us as we<\/p>\n
begin Lord God we're grateful for your<\/p>\n
word the<\/p>\n
Bible you've brought us to this place<\/p>\n
and time to read your<\/p>\n
word please allow our hearts to be<\/p>\n
softened and our minds to be<\/p>\n
sharpened<\/p>\n
allow our ears to hear what you would<\/p>\n
have us to hear<\/p>\n
today help us we<\/p>\n
pray in your holy name<\/p>\n
amen our text today is taken from the<\/p>\n
10th chapter of<\/p>\n
Mark and K Vicki will read In tha both<\/p>\n
languages are on the slides as well<\/p>\n
we'll be reading Mark<\/p>\n
10: 32 through<\/p>\n
45 this is the word of<\/p>\n
God okay thank<\/p>\n
you fore<\/p>\n
speee<\/p>\n
fore<\/p>\n
foree<\/p>\n
for<\/p>\n
this is the word of<\/p>\n
God a number of years<\/p>\n
ago at the Bangkok art and culture<\/p>\n
center and I and I saw an art<\/p>\n
installation<\/p>\n
there and this was a work by a a Thai<\/p>\n
artist<\/p>\n
and the artwork itself consisted of a<\/p>\n
number of small images of the<\/p>\n
Buddha arranged in rows in front of a<\/p>\n
computer<\/p>\n
monitor and the the screen the computer<\/p>\n
was flashing images of commercial<\/p>\n
advertisements had images is like sale<\/p>\n
and 50% off and buy<\/p>\n
now and it had pictures of purses and<\/p>\n
shoes and cars and other items for<\/p>\n
sale and images were also projected up<\/p>\n
on the wall of the gallery so the<\/p>\n
viewers were also subjected to these<\/p>\n
ads<\/p>\n
and the title of the piece was<\/p>\n
materialism in the artist statement the<\/p>\n
artist had written<\/p>\n
this no longer are we known for who we<\/p>\n
are but for what we<\/p>\n
have now this artist was questioning the<\/p>\n
concepts of of social status and<\/p>\n
possessions of social standing and<\/p>\n
identity and all of these things both<\/p>\n
you know identity being even self-<\/p>\n
perceived and socially defined as<\/p>\n
well you know in today's world uh social<\/p>\n
media media platforms have given us the<\/p>\n
ability to curate and create digital<\/p>\n
personas so we have the tools to share<\/p>\n
our lives with others more than ever<\/p>\n
before you it can be really special to<\/p>\n
be be able to share photos and stories<\/p>\n
right like to share what's happening in<\/p>\n
our lives with other<\/p>\n
people but one interesting aspect about<\/p>\n
social media is that it can reveal so<\/p>\n
much about who we<\/p>\n
are or at least who we think we are and<\/p>\n
who we say we are person<\/p>\n
but even what society says about<\/p>\n
us in this passage of the Gospel of<\/p>\n
Mark Jesus is his disciples are walking<\/p>\n
to<\/p>\n
Jerusalem you know all through his time<\/p>\n
with the disciples and even now Jesus<\/p>\n
has been teaching them and he's been<\/p>\n
using Parables and he's been using<\/p>\n
stories to teach<\/p>\n
them but in this passage Jesus speaks<\/p>\n
very clearly and very directly about<\/p>\n
what is going to happen to him in the<\/p>\n
coming<\/p>\n
days<\/p>\n
the son of man will be delivered over to<\/p>\n
the chief priests and the scribes and<\/p>\n
they will condemn him to death and<\/p>\n
deliver him over to the Gentiles and<\/p>\n
they will mock him and spit on him and<\/p>\n
fog him and kill him and after three<\/p>\n
days he will<\/p>\n
rise<\/p>\n
for this is a tumultuous time in the<\/p>\n
life of Jesus and his<\/p>\n
disciples the text says they were amazed<\/p>\n
at him at his<\/p>\n
teaching<\/p>\n
and those that were following were<\/p>\n
afraid and it's in the midst of this<\/p>\n
difficult setting that we read about<\/p>\n
James and John's<\/p>\n
request and it seems so out of<\/p>\n
place Jesus is their teacher their<\/p>\n
leader their<\/p>\n
Messiah and yet they say to him teacher<\/p>\n
we want you to do for us whatever we ask<\/p>\n
of<\/p>\n
you it seems audacious right and<\/p>\n
demanding it seems so out of place<\/p>\n
doesn't it<\/p>\n
culturally relationally I mean disciples<\/p>\n
making demands of their Rabbi their<\/p>\n
teacher and the timing of this<\/p>\n
too Jesus has just been very clear about<\/p>\n
the suffering and death he is about to<\/p>\n
face and they come to him with this<\/p>\n
self-focused demand<\/p>\n
for yeah Jesus is patient with them and<\/p>\n
and asks what do you want me to do for<\/p>\n
you and their question reveals the<\/p>\n
self-centered heart of<\/p>\n
humanity<\/p>\n
grant us to sit one at your right hand<\/p>\n
and one at your left hand in<\/p>\n
glory to put this in modern<\/p>\n
language Jesus when you come in to your<\/p>\n
rule and Reign forever would you elevate<\/p>\n
us to positions of power and<\/p>\n
honor<\/p>\n
James and John the sons of zebede are<\/p>\n
asking to be elevated to positions of<\/p>\n
importance and<\/p>\n
Prestige they're essentially asking to<\/p>\n
be honored and placed in in levels or<\/p>\n
position of cultural respect and<\/p>\n
power it's hard to read this<\/p>\n
right it's hard to believe<\/p>\n
it I mean right when Jesus is being<\/p>\n
vulnerable and forthright about the<\/p>\n
great suffering and death he would<\/p>\n
experience<\/p>\n
I mean two of his closest followers<\/p>\n
right then say you know Jesus wow that<\/p>\n
sounds really difficult for you but can<\/p>\n
we talk about our<\/p>\n
future yeah we may just not believe this<\/p>\n
right as we read<\/p>\n
it that they would do<\/p>\n
this and the text says that the other<\/p>\n
disciples were indignant as<\/p>\n
well but maybe you know honestly not so<\/p>\n
much because of the great disrespect<\/p>\n
showed towards Jesus but because they<\/p>\n
likely too desired this<\/p>\n
yes James and John's request is wrong on<\/p>\n
so many levels but it reveals so much<\/p>\n
about the human<\/p>\n
heart our hearts our own<\/p>\n
hearts for we do the same<\/p>\n
we self- Elevate and<\/p>\n
self-promote we curate our own personas<\/p>\n
and we judge others as less than or even<\/p>\n
greater than<\/p>\n
us we can't help<\/p>\n
it that is the depth of the sinful human<\/p>\n
heart we place our ourselves in certain<\/p>\n
positions in society and work to sustain<\/p>\n
and grow our personal<\/p>\n
brand so Jesus goes on to explain and<\/p>\n
with a lot of patience and kindness I<\/p>\n
might add just how wrong they<\/p>\n
are<\/p>\n
he lovingly points them to the truth of<\/p>\n
who he is and what he came to<\/p>\n
do he flips everything around to show<\/p>\n
the truth about who we are at light of<\/p>\n
the<\/p>\n
Gospel in verse 42 Jesus explains the<\/p>\n
values of the world in regard to social<\/p>\n
standing Power Authority and<\/p>\n
reputation rulers exercise their<\/p>\n
authority over<\/p>\n
others he uses the phrase lordy it over<\/p>\n
them<\/p>\n
which speaks of ruling uh with with a<\/p>\n
boastful and prideful<\/p>\n
heart and here J Jesus turns it all<\/p>\n
around he says but it shall not be so<\/p>\n
among<\/p>\n
you but whoever would be great among you<\/p>\n
must be your servant and whoever would<\/p>\n
be first among you must be slave of all<\/p>\n
for even the son of man came not to be<\/p>\n
served but to serve and to give his life<\/p>\n
as a ransom for<\/p>\n
many so what are we to make of all of<\/p>\n
this<\/p>\n
I mean how do we apply this what Jesus<\/p>\n
is teaching to our own<\/p>\n
Hearts how do we apply the truths of the<\/p>\n
Gospel to our own<\/p>\n
lives well first we seek to understand<\/p>\n
and to honor Jesus for who he<\/p>\n
is<\/p>\n
in and through the gospel we're called<\/p>\n
to be Servants of<\/p>\n
others we're called towards humility and<\/p>\n
and<\/p>\n
servanthood and this is so difficult for<\/p>\n
us because we're hardwired towards self-<\/p>\n
focus and<\/p>\n
self-preservation<\/p>\n
but at the heart of the Christian faith<\/p>\n
is a is a turning from<\/p>\n
ourselves and turning towards Jesus and<\/p>\n
the Salvation that he<\/p>\n
brings you see the teaching Christian<\/p>\n
faith is that we need Jesus to change<\/p>\n
our<\/p>\n
hearts<\/p>\n
to turn our self-focused hearts towards<\/p>\n
him in<\/p>\n
faith so we have to be humbled we have<\/p>\n
to be at a a place of humility to come<\/p>\n
Jesus we have to realize that we're<\/p>\n
we're not all that we think we<\/p>\n
are in fact we're worse than we<\/p>\n
think in reality we're prideful and<\/p>\n
self-centered and like James and John<\/p>\n
we're we're focused on elevating<\/p>\n
self not humbling ourselves before<\/p>\n
Jesus so what it means to have faith in<\/p>\n
Jesus is to come to him in humility and<\/p>\n
receive<\/p>\n
him humble yourself before him and<\/p>\n
him confessing our sin before God and<\/p>\n
receiving forgiveness and new<\/p>\n
life so that is what we do as as we step<\/p>\n
into faith in Jesus so<\/p>\n
secondly the other way that we grow and<\/p>\n
move forward in Christ is to is to rely<\/p>\n
on the ongoing work of God in bringing<\/p>\n
change to our hearts<\/p>\n
see we have the perfect example of<\/p>\n
humility in Jesus<\/p>\n
Christ and we need him to help us live<\/p>\n
humbly before him and<\/p>\n
others in the letter to the church at<\/p>\n
Philippi we we read this n<\/p>\n
Philipp yeah uh 2<\/p>\n
3-8<\/p>\n
do nothing from selfish ambition or<\/p>\n
conceit but in humility count others<\/p>\n
more significant than yourselves Let<\/p>\n
each of you look not only to his own<\/p>\n
interests but also to the interests of<\/p>\n
others have this mind among yourselves<\/p>\n
which is yours in Christ Jesus who<\/p>\n
though he was in the form of God did not<\/p>\n
count equality with God a thing to be<\/p>\n
grasped but emptied himself by taking<\/p>\n
the form of a servant being born<\/p>\n
in the likeness of men and being found<\/p>\n
in human form he humbled himself by<\/p>\n
becoming obedient to the point of death<\/p>\n
even death on a<\/p>\n
cross<\/p>\n
it's clear that we need the work of God<\/p>\n
through the Holy<\/p>\n
Spirit to follow<\/p>\n
Jesus<\/p>\n
we can't live like this through our own<\/p>\n
power we don't want to live like this<\/p>\n
through our own<\/p>\n
desire we need the work of God through<\/p>\n
the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus<\/p>\n
Christ<\/p>\n
friends let us cling to him as he<\/p>\n
reveals our ongoing need of<\/p>\n
him and let us submit to him with Humble<\/p>\n
Hearts for God came to give himself for<\/p>\n
us and to lead us to serve and love<\/p>\n
others in his<\/p>\n
name let's<\/p>\n
pray God our good<\/p>\n
father we thank you for sending Jesus to<\/p>\n
save this broken and hurting<\/p>\n
World help us to see the ways that we<\/p>\n
build ourselves<\/p>\n
up the ways we Elevate ourselves above<\/p>\n
others the ways we neglect those in<\/p>\n
need and in your mercy humble<\/p>\n
us bring us again and again to the place<\/p>\n
where we see our clear need of<\/p>\n
you expose our prideful thoughts and<\/p>\n
actions reveal to us our sins and help<\/p>\n
us confess them to<\/p>\n
you being reminded that you're the one<\/p>\n
who forgives the one who loves the one<\/p>\n
who gave gave himself for<\/p>\n
us and God we ask that you would help us<\/p>\n
individually and as your<\/p>\n
church to seek to serve those around us<\/p>\n
with your love and grace and through<\/p>\n
your<\/p>\n
power<\/p>\n
and we ask all of this through your Holy<\/p>\n
Name Lord<\/p>\n
amen<\/p>","english_search_text":"","":"","original_publish_date":"20231102","video_url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=W9mboFruA-E","video_id":"W9mboFruA-E","video_duration":"28:10","channel_name":"Grace City Bangkok"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=523"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":524,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/523\/revisions\/524"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/522"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracecity.machakosconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}