Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
Stepping Up and Stepping Out
March 31, 2004 Lenten Journeys Matthew 20:20-28
When I was growing up, we never really celebrated the season of Lent. Oh, our church
participated in Lenten services, but it was more of an opportunity for the folks in this small town
to get together, than it was a spiritual journey.
On Sundays we simply focused on the coming celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. We even
called it the “Easter Season.” It wasn’t until I entered seminary that I began to understand what
Lent was all about in any manner of a traditional sense. When my theology professor first
brought up the subject, I was really dumbfounded. The idea of reflecting upon the “work” of
Christ and our response to it was like milk to a newborn baby. I lapped up the idea. Shortly
afterwards, the church Lori and I were attending started the Lenten season and I got to
experience what it really meant up close and personal. The pastor of that church, you should
know, was none other than Sheldon Keller.
I joke a lot about Baptists not celebrating Lent, but ever since those days in Massachusetts, I
have used Lent as an opportunity to explore my own relationship with Jesus. It becomes an
opportunity to check in and see how I am doing in my walk of faith. Tonight I want to talk
about our walk with our Lord. So let’s step up and step out and look at our walk with the Lord.
Before we begin, I want to set the context for our story. In verse 17, we catch Jesus turning to
Jerusalem where he will face suffering and death. We look on as He takes the disciples aside and
tells them that He will be “mocked and flogged and crucified.”
Our passage tonight, comes right on the heels of this story. We read that the mother of James
and John heard Jesus speaking, heard him say that he was going away, and she immediately
comes up and takes Jesus aside and asks a favor of him. She simply asks what any mother might
ask for her children. She says “Grant that one of these two sons of mine sit at your right and the
other at your left in your kingdom.”
Now, before we get too tough on her, remember - Jesus did say in Matthew 19:28 that “at the
renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed
me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
The problem is that she passed right over Matthew 19:30 where he said: “But many who are first
will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
That brings me to the first thing we need to remember when we are looking at our walk with
Christ. It is really easy for our motives to get out of whack. As we set out to walk with Christ,
we often begin with noble motives. But so often we get drawn in and begin to look for nods of
approval or places of honor. We want everyone to notice what we are doing. Whereas we once
did things quietly, and were willing to work behind the scenes, we often get caught up in doing
the things that everyone else can see. As best we can, we really need to get our reason for
serving straightened out. It is remembering that - we do what we do for God.
We need to ask ourselves the question Jesus asked Salome. “What is it you want?” We need to
honestly ask oursleves “Why are we doing this?” “Who are we serving?” “Who do we want to
impress?”
A second thing we need to understand in our walk with Christ is that we need to expect
difficulty. Somewhere along the way, we have accepted the idea that everyone who follows
Christ will have it easy.
I remember hearing Orel Roberts promise all kinds of things as a kid. All we had to do was send
him money!
It doesn’t work that way but some of us think it should. As a result, as soon as things get a little
tough, many of us question what is happening. But look at the text: After Salome boldly makes
her request, Jesus responds rather bluntly: “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink
the cup I am going to drink?” Jesus is really saying, “You don’t have a clue what you’re asking.”
While we don’t always know in advance how much we’re going to suffer, we do know that if
we’re serious about following Christ and serving Him wholeheartedly, we will face difficulty.
So if you’re serious about serving, then get ready to face trials and tests. Ministry is often a
struggle, but it is worth it! If you sense yourself wanting to pull back or find yourself wondering
if your ministry matters, allow the words of 1 Corinthians 15:58 to encourage you:
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to
the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
A third thing that this story tells us about our walk with Christ is that we need to be willing to put
others first. After checking our motives and expecting difficulty, the third route to becoming a
disciple is the ability to put others first.
When we think only of ourselves, community breaks down and unity is replaced with division
and backbiting. That’s why one of the best things we can do as a church is to serve together. A
church that serves together stays together.
When the others heard how James and John were trying to claim a special role for themselves,
they got angry. I love what Jesus does next in the first part of verse 25. It says “Jesus called
them together…” That’s exactly what needs to happen when there is tension and strife. We need
to come together.
Later on, when looking out over Jerusalem, Jesus said in Matthew 23:37: “How often I have
longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you
were not willing.” Jesus is gathering his children together, holding them close like a hen under
her wings. I picture Him calling a huddle and saying something like this, “Guys, come here. Let’s
form a tight circle. Get a little closer so you can hear what I’m about to say.”
He knows their default systems are set on selfishness and so he calls them together. He doesn’t
take the two brothers aside and blast away, nor does he slam the ten for being indignant. He
brings them back to community and then gives them a lesson in how differently things are to run
in His kingdom.
There is a sharp contrast between the servanthood philosophy of the Savior and the world
system in which they lived: “…You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their high officials exercise authority over them.” The world’s way teaches that we should spend
all our energy to get to the top and then when we get there we can boss others around.
Verse 26 begins with a rebuke as Jesus reframes their understanding: “Not so with you...” A
Christ-follower must not operate this way. In the family of God there is only one category of
people: servants. Notice the rest of this verse and verse 27: “…Instead, whoever wants to
become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your
slave.”
If the disciples wanted to be leaders in His kingdom, they first had to become servants. What is a
servant? It’s someone whose heart is intent upon, and whose will is bound to, the will and
wishes of another. If I am your servant, then what you say goes. You have the last word.
Finally, we are called to follow the example of Jesus. If we want to walk with Jesus, then we
need to follow in his footsteps. Jesus does not just shake up our self-centered motives and tell us
to expect difficulties. He also challenges us to put others first. And, in case we’re wondering
how to do this, He offers Himself as the perfect role model. Look at verse 28: “Just as the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” This
verse has been rightly regarded as one of the most precious of Christ’s sayings. Jesus is both our
example and our motivation.
He wasn’t focused on keeping His position and getting more. In fact, according to Philippians 2:3-
7, Jesus left His throne in order to serve us:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than
yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of
others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the
very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
He served the needs of others and then demonstrated the ultimate act of servanthood when He
gave His life as payment for our sins, so that we can be set free. The true standard of greatness
is the Savior’s pattern of self-sacrifice.
Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, who died recently, once appeared on the cover of their
annual report dressed in a knee-length work apron holding a mop and a plastic bucket. Here’s
how he described that picture: “I got my M.B.A. long before my G.E.D. At Wendy’s M.B.A.
does not mean Master of Business Administration. It means Mop Bucket Attitude.” Dave Thomas
got his M.B.A. from following the model of the Master.
So What Are We Waiting For?
If we want to walk with Christ, we can’t just wait for something to happen. Jesus said we’re
blessed when we do something. So let’s answer the call of Jesus and step up, so we can step out
and serve him. Amen.
March 31, 2004 Lenten Journeys Matthew 20:20-28
When I was growing up, we never really celebrated the season of Lent. Oh, our church
participated in Lenten services, but it was more of an opportunity for the folks in this small town
to get together, than it was a spiritual journey.
On Sundays we simply focused on the coming celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. We even
called it the “Easter Season.” It wasn’t until I entered seminary that I began to understand what
Lent was all about in any manner of a traditional sense. When my theology professor first
brought up the subject, I was really dumbfounded. The idea of reflecting upon the “work” of
Christ and our response to it was like milk to a newborn baby. I lapped up the idea. Shortly
afterwards, the church Lori and I were attending started the Lenten season and I got to
experience what it really meant up close and personal. The pastor of that church, you should
know, was none other than Sheldon Keller.
I joke a lot about Baptists not celebrating Lent, but ever since those days in Massachusetts, I
have used Lent as an opportunity to explore my own relationship with Jesus. It becomes an
opportunity to check in and see how I am doing in my walk of faith. Tonight I want to talk
about our walk with our Lord. So let’s step up and step out and look at our walk with the Lord.
Before we begin, I want to set the context for our story. In verse 17, we catch Jesus turning to
Jerusalem where he will face suffering and death. We look on as He takes the disciples aside and
tells them that He will be “mocked and flogged and crucified.”
Our passage tonight, comes right on the heels of this story. We read that the mother of James
and John heard Jesus speaking, heard him say that he was going away, and she immediately
comes up and takes Jesus aside and asks a favor of him. She simply asks what any mother might
ask for her children. She says “Grant that one of these two sons of mine sit at your right and the
other at your left in your kingdom.”
Now, before we get too tough on her, remember - Jesus did say in Matthew 19:28 that “at the
renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious throne, you who have followed
me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
The problem is that she passed right over Matthew 19:30 where he said: “But many who are first
will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
That brings me to the first thing we need to remember when we are looking at our walk with
Christ. It is really easy for our motives to get out of whack. As we set out to walk with Christ,
we often begin with noble motives. But so often we get drawn in and begin to look for nods of
approval or places of honor. We want everyone to notice what we are doing. Whereas we once
did things quietly, and were willing to work behind the scenes, we often get caught up in doing
the things that everyone else can see. As best we can, we really need to get our reason for
serving straightened out. It is remembering that - we do what we do for God.
We need to ask ourselves the question Jesus asked Salome. “What is it you want?” We need to
honestly ask oursleves “Why are we doing this?” “Who are we serving?” “Who do we want to
impress?”
A second thing we need to understand in our walk with Christ is that we need to expect
difficulty. Somewhere along the way, we have accepted the idea that everyone who follows
Christ will have it easy.
I remember hearing Orel Roberts promise all kinds of things as a kid. All we had to do was send
him money!
It doesn’t work that way but some of us think it should. As a result, as soon as things get a little
tough, many of us question what is happening. But look at the text: After Salome boldly makes
her request, Jesus responds rather bluntly: “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink
the cup I am going to drink?” Jesus is really saying, “You don’t have a clue what you’re asking.”
While we don’t always know in advance how much we’re going to suffer, we do know that if
we’re serious about following Christ and serving Him wholeheartedly, we will face difficulty.
So if you’re serious about serving, then get ready to face trials and tests. Ministry is often a
struggle, but it is worth it! If you sense yourself wanting to pull back or find yourself wondering
if your ministry matters, allow the words of 1 Corinthians 15:58 to encourage you:
“Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to
the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
A third thing that this story tells us about our walk with Christ is that we need to be willing to put
others first. After checking our motives and expecting difficulty, the third route to becoming a
disciple is the ability to put others first.
When we think only of ourselves, community breaks down and unity is replaced with division
and backbiting. That’s why one of the best things we can do as a church is to serve together. A
church that serves together stays together.
When the others heard how James and John were trying to claim a special role for themselves,
they got angry. I love what Jesus does next in the first part of verse 25. It says “Jesus called
them together…” That’s exactly what needs to happen when there is tension and strife. We need
to come together.
Later on, when looking out over Jerusalem, Jesus said in Matthew 23:37: “How often I have
longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you
were not willing.” Jesus is gathering his children together, holding them close like a hen under
her wings. I picture Him calling a huddle and saying something like this, “Guys, come here. Let’s
form a tight circle. Get a little closer so you can hear what I’m about to say.”
He knows their default systems are set on selfishness and so he calls them together. He doesn’t
take the two brothers aside and blast away, nor does he slam the ten for being indignant. He
brings them back to community and then gives them a lesson in how differently things are to run
in His kingdom.
There is a sharp contrast between the servanthood philosophy of the Savior and the world
system in which they lived: “…You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and
their high officials exercise authority over them.” The world’s way teaches that we should spend
all our energy to get to the top and then when we get there we can boss others around.
Verse 26 begins with a rebuke as Jesus reframes their understanding: “Not so with you...” A
Christ-follower must not operate this way. In the family of God there is only one category of
people: servants. Notice the rest of this verse and verse 27: “…Instead, whoever wants to
become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your
slave.”
If the disciples wanted to be leaders in His kingdom, they first had to become servants. What is a
servant? It’s someone whose heart is intent upon, and whose will is bound to, the will and
wishes of another. If I am your servant, then what you say goes. You have the last word.
Finally, we are called to follow the example of Jesus. If we want to walk with Jesus, then we
need to follow in his footsteps. Jesus does not just shake up our self-centered motives and tell us
to expect difficulties. He also challenges us to put others first. And, in case we’re wondering
how to do this, He offers Himself as the perfect role model. Look at verse 28: “Just as the Son of
Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” This
verse has been rightly regarded as one of the most precious of Christ’s sayings. Jesus is both our
example and our motivation.
He wasn’t focused on keeping His position and getting more. In fact, according to Philippians 2:3-
7, Jesus left His throne in order to serve us:
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than
yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of
others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the
very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.”
He served the needs of others and then demonstrated the ultimate act of servanthood when He
gave His life as payment for our sins, so that we can be set free. The true standard of greatness
is the Savior’s pattern of self-sacrifice.
Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s, who died recently, once appeared on the cover of their
annual report dressed in a knee-length work apron holding a mop and a plastic bucket. Here’s
how he described that picture: “I got my M.B.A. long before my G.E.D. At Wendy’s M.B.A.
does not mean Master of Business Administration. It means Mop Bucket Attitude.” Dave Thomas
got his M.B.A. from following the model of the Master.
So What Are We Waiting For?
If we want to walk with Christ, we can’t just wait for something to happen. Jesus said we’re
blessed when we do something. So let’s answer the call of Jesus and step up, so we can step out
and serve him. Amen.
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