Introduction (Mark 10:31, 35-45)
"But many who are first will be last, and the last first." - (Mark 10:31)
- Only One can be First (Mark 9:33-35 | Luke 22:24-27).
- The First are Killers (Luke 9:52-55 | Matt 5:21-22).
- The Last are Servants .
- The Transforming power of being last.
- First, Adjust our Attitudes (Phil 2:3-11).
- Second, Adjust our Actions (John 13:1-5, 15-17).
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. - (John 13:1-5 NIV)
"For I have given you an example..." - (John 13:15)
Rich Sprunk - Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North (Elder)
Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANK
Hint: Highlight blanks above for answers!
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Pastor Jeff:
00:25-00:29
And if you're visiting with us and you're like, "What's this church about?" Simple. We're about four things.
Pastor Jeff:
00:30-00:33
Number one is proclaiming the authority of God's Word without apology.
Pastor Jeff:
00:33-00:35
We believe that God wrote a book.
Pastor Jeff:
00:35-00:40
And we're not shy about telling you what God said in His book.
Pastor Jeff:
00:41-00:44
The second pillar is lifting high the name of Jesus in worship.
Pastor Jeff:
00:44-00:50
As you've seen over this past, oh, half hour, we're pretty serious about lifting high the name of Jesus Christ in worship.
Pastor Jeff:
00:51-00:53
Our third pillar is believing firmly in the power of prayer.
Pastor Jeff:
00:54-01:04
Prayer is at the beginning and end, and during everything that we do at Harvest Bible Chapel here, small groups, outreaches, we believe that when God's people pray, God moves.
Pastor Jeff:
01:04-01:08
And our fourth pillar is sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness.
Pastor Jeff:
01:09-01:30
And as it pertains to the first pillar, proclaiming the authority of God's Word without apology, we do place an extremely high premium at Harvest Bible Chapel on preaching, Because preaching is the God-ordained method of getting the message out, speaking the Word of God through a man of God.
Pastor Jeff:
01:30-01:37
And years past in this church, in July, we would bring in other preachers to share the Word, but we're not going to do that this year.
Pastor Jeff:
01:38-01:45
We realize that even among our own people here, we have some men who have a message from God's Word.
Pastor Jeff:
01:45-01:50
And over the next four weeks, we're going to be having four men from our church sharing God's Word.
Pastor Jeff:
01:51-01:52
It's going to be fantastic.
Pastor Jeff:
01:53-01:55
Our first preacher is Rich Sprunk.
Pastor Jeff:
01:55-01:58
Rich serves as an elder here at Harvest Bible Chapel.
Pastor Jeff:
01:58-02:00
And you've been an elder, what, for almost a year now, right?
Rich Sprunk:
02:01-02:02
I think about eight months.
Pastor Jeff:
02:02-02:03
About eight months? Okay.
Pastor Jeff:
02:03-02:08
Something maybe a lot of people don't get to see and appreciate that I do.
Pastor Jeff:
02:08-02:09
Rich has a shepherd's heart.
Pastor Jeff:
02:10-02:13
And he loves the Lord, he loves God's Word, he loves his family.
Pastor Jeff:
02:14-02:15
But Rich loves his church.
Pastor Jeff:
02:16-02:18
It just happened to me a couple of weeks ago.
Pastor Jeff:
02:18-02:26
I had a couple that was visiting came to me and they said, "Do you know, after church, the nicest couple came and just prayed with us.
Pastor Jeff:
02:26-02:39
And we were just kind of hurting a little bit and this really nice couple came and prayed and I said, 'Was it Rich and Bethany Sprunk?' 'Yes, that was it!' And I'm like, 'How did I know that?'" Because that's just the kind of people Rich and Bethany Sprunk are.
Pastor Jeff:
02:39-02:42
They have a great love for God and for God's people.
Pastor Jeff:
02:42-02:44
Rich is going to be bringing the Word today.
Pastor Jeff:
02:45-02:46
Let's just pray for Rich.
Pastor Jeff:
02:47-02:50
Father in Heaven, we are about to turn to Your Word.
Pastor Jeff:
02:50-02:52
And I pray, Father, You would speak through this man.
Pastor Jeff:
02:52-02:56
And I pray that the rest of us have ears to hear what You're going to speak through this man.
Pastor Jeff:
02:57-02:58
Do what only You can do.
Pastor Jeff:
02:58-03:00
We pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
Rich Sprunk:
03:01-03:02
Good morning, everyone.
Rich Sprunk:
03:03-03:12
I have a $10 bill for anyone who can name three of the linemen from the 2008 Detroit Lions.
Rich Sprunk:
03:13-03:33
Anyone? Once? Twice? No? Of course not. We don't know anything about the 2008 Detroit Lions as they finished absolute dead last. Since the advent of the 16-game season, the Detroit Lions were the first team to finish 0-16. Absolute last.
Rich Sprunk:
03:34-04:15
See, we don't care about people who are last or things that are last. We want to first. When I was a kid we would test ourselves against one another. We'd wrestle and play games and sometimes fight. Now I didn't like to fight. I was not a fighter. I was a coward. But somehow one day in the summer I got into a contest with Johnny Van Parren. And Johnny Van Parren was bigger than me, but I got into it and the kids, the other kids are goading us on and so we're like half hard swinging at each other and pushing each other and I tackled him and I got him down on the ground and I'm straddling him but I didn't want to hit him in the face.
Rich Sprunk:
04:16-04:31
I didn't want to punch him. So instead I reached out and I grabbed his nose and went beep beep and he was just humiliated, absolutely humiliated. He got out from under me, he ran home crying and I didn't see Johnny Van Perren for a few weeks because he went off to summer camp.
Rich Sprunk:
04:31-04:39
I think he was gone most of the summer and one day towards the end of summer I heard all the kids outside making noise and playing.
Rich Sprunk:
04:39-04:40
I'll go out and join my friends.
Rich Sprunk:
04:40-04:43
And I go out there and there's Johnny Van Perren.
Rich Sprunk:
04:43-04:45
Except now he's John Van Perren.
Rich Sprunk:
04:45-04:46
And he's about this big.
Rich Sprunk:
04:47-04:49
And you all know where this is going, don't you?
Rich Sprunk:
04:50-04:53
Next thing you know, I'm on my back, on the ground, and what does Johnny Van Perren do?
Rich Sprunk:
04:54-04:58
Beep, beep, I was completely, thoroughly humiliated.
Rich Sprunk:
04:58-04:59
And I ran in the house.
Rich Sprunk:
05:00-05:02
Yeah, we don't like to be last.
Rich Sprunk:
05:02-05:04
We don't like to be on the bottom rung.
Rich Sprunk:
05:05-05:06
We want to be first.
Rich Sprunk:
05:06-05:08
We want to be the best at everything.
Rich Sprunk:
05:08-05:09
We want the best grades.
Rich Sprunk:
05:09-05:11
We want to be recognized in school.
Rich Sprunk:
05:11-05:13
We want to be recognized at work.
Rich Sprunk:
05:13-05:15
We want people to notice us, right?
Rich Sprunk:
05:15-05:16
That's why we have social media.
Rich Sprunk:
05:16-05:19
Look, look it, look it, look, I got the best house.
Rich Sprunk:
05:19-05:22
Look at my kids, kindergarten graduate, right?
Rich Sprunk:
05:23-05:24
My kids are better than your kids.
Rich Sprunk:
05:24-05:25
My cat's better than your cat.
Rich Sprunk:
05:26-05:28
My dog's better than your dog and he doesn't even eat kennel ration, right?
Rich Sprunk:
05:29-05:30
Look at my feet on the beach.
Rich Sprunk:
05:30-05:32
My life is better than your life.
Rich Sprunk:
05:32-05:35
And if we can't be first personally, what do we do?
Rich Sprunk:
05:36-05:39
And we identify with those that we think are champions, right?
Rich Sprunk:
05:39-05:40
We identify with the best.
Rich Sprunk:
05:41-05:43
That's why we love the Steelers and the Penguins.
Rich Sprunk:
05:43-05:48
That's why we love the stars who dance and the survivors and the idols, right?
Rich Sprunk:
05:49-05:50
We know who all those people are.
Rich Sprunk:
05:50-05:53
We know who won the Academy Award and the Emmy and the Tony.
Rich Sprunk:
05:54-05:54
They're first.
Rich Sprunk:
05:54-05:57
And we buy their merchandise and we talk about them all the time.
Rich Sprunk:
05:58-05:59
That's why we worship Jesus, isn't it?
Rich Sprunk:
06:00-06:00
Because He's our champion.
Rich Sprunk:
06:01-06:04
He's absolutely first, right?
Rich Sprunk:
06:04-06:05
He's first.
Rich Sprunk:
06:05-06:07
He's our Savior, our King.
Rich Sprunk:
06:07-06:11
He stands at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for us.
Rich Sprunk:
06:11-06:14
He's given us salvation and we owe Him everything.
Rich Sprunk:
06:14-06:16
It's why we love Him.
Rich Sprunk:
06:16-06:23
But what we also do, church, is we identify with the privileges and rights that accrue only to our risen King.
Rich Sprunk:
06:24-06:26
You see, we all want the first Jesus, right?
Rich Sprunk:
06:26-06:31
We all want the Jesus who can do for us whatever we ask and we enjoy.
Rich Sprunk:
06:31-06:34
We are entitled to the benefits of being children of God.
Rich Sprunk:
06:35-06:36
We're adopted into his family.
Rich Sprunk:
06:36-06:37
We're loved by him.
Rich Sprunk:
06:38-06:42
We're filled with his powerful spirit, the same spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.
Rich Sprunk:
06:42-06:43
He's at work in us.
Rich Sprunk:
06:44-06:51
But when we start thinking we're able to exercise the rights that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ alone, we go astray.
Rich Sprunk:
06:51-06:57
See, in going directly to the first Jesus and identifying with him, we neglect the last Jesus.
Rich Sprunk:
06:58-07:03
What would our congregation be like if we had sought to identify with this last Jesus?
Rich Sprunk:
07:03-07:13
humbling ourselves below others, forgiving one another, falling all over each other in an attempt to get to the end of the line, the last place, so to speak, where the last Jesus is standing.
Rich Sprunk:
07:14-07:23
A place where instead of seeking to be great, we do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility count others more significant than ourselves.
Rich Sprunk:
07:23-07:23
Let's pray.
Rich Sprunk:
07:24-07:31
Gracious Father, I'm venturing out into dangerous territory here to think that I can preach the Word of God.
Rich Sprunk:
07:31-07:33
But this is not my word, This is your Word.
Rich Sprunk:
07:34-07:35
This is your truth.
Rich Sprunk:
07:35-07:38
Father, just make me the vessel.
Rich Sprunk:
07:39-07:41
You convey the message to our hearts this morning.
Rich Sprunk:
07:41-07:52
I pray we would all have listening ears, attentive hearts, that we would recognize, Father, we're not just here to sit passively in some seats and hear somebody talk.
Rich Sprunk:
07:53-07:57
No, we are gathered together around your Word, which is living and powerful.
Rich Sprunk:
07:58-08:04
We are gathered around your word to continue worship, for to speak and to think about your word is worship.
Rich Sprunk:
08:05-08:14
I pray you unite our hearts as one, that we would understand we are ushered into your presence at the throne to hear from you.
Rich Sprunk:
08:15-08:17
Transform our lives, I pray, through your word.
Rich Sprunk:
08:18-08:20
It is healing and strength for our bones.
Rich Sprunk:
08:21-08:26
It is life, and we thank you for this in your great name, Jesus, amen.
Rich Sprunk:
08:27-08:54
In Mark chapter 10, after Jesus talked to the rich young ruler and told him, "Sell everything you've got and give it to the poor and follow me." And after he had told his disciples, "We're going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man is going to be crucified and he's going to be turned over to the Gentiles and be crucified by the religious leaders." Immediately after he tells them he's going to die, two of his disciples approach him, James and John.
Rich Sprunk:
08:55-09:03
And Jesus says, "Many who are first will be last, and the last first." And if you want to follow along with me, I'm in Mark 10, verses 35-45.
Rich Sprunk:
09:04-09:21
And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.
Rich Sprunk:
09:21-09:35
Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?' And they said to him, 'We are able.' And Jesus said to them, 'The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized.
Rich Sprunk:
09:35-09:46
But to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.' And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John.
Rich Sprunk:
09:47-09:55
And Jesus called them to him and said to them, 'You know that those who are considered rulers "and their great ones exercise authority over them.
Rich Sprunk:
09:55-09:57
"But it shall not be so among you.
Rich Sprunk:
09:58-10:03
"But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, "and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.
Rich Sprunk:
10:04-10:13
"For even the Son of Man came not to be served, "but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." You see, only one can be first, only one, and that's Jesus Christ.
Rich Sprunk:
10:13-10:17
But James and John, they had the audacity to ask for first place.
Rich Sprunk:
10:17-10:20
And this wasn't the first time that this subject had come up.
Rich Sprunk:
10:20-10:31
In Mark chapter 9, verses 33 through 35 we read, "And when he was in the house, he asked them, 'What were you discussing on the way?' But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest.
Rich Sprunk:
10:32-10:40
And he sat down and called the twelve, and he said to them, 'If anyone would be first, he must be last, and servant of all.'" This topic comes up again at the Lord's Supper.
Rich Sprunk:
10:41-10:46
After the supper, a dispute arises among them as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest.
Rich Sprunk:
10:46-10:53
"And Jesus said to them, 'The kings of the Gentiles "exercise lordship over them, "and those in authority over them "are called benefactors.
Rich Sprunk:
10:53-10:54
"But not so with you.
Rich Sprunk:
10:55-10:59
"Rather, let the greatest among you "become as the youngest, "and the leader as the one who serves.
Rich Sprunk:
11:00-11:03
"For who is the greater, "the one who reclines at table, "or the one who serves?
Rich Sprunk:
11:03-11:05
"Is it not the one who reclines at table?
Rich Sprunk:
11:05-11:14
"But I am among you as one who serves." You look at this in the scriptures, and you'll see every time Jesus tells his disciples, "The Son of Man is going up to Jerusalem.
Rich Sprunk:
11:14-11:15
"He's gonna be crucified.
Rich Sprunk:
11:16-11:23
"I'm going to die." Immediately, the disciples come back and they're arguing about who's the greatest, who's the best, who's first.
Rich Sprunk:
11:24-11:26
You know, what's going on in the minds of the disciples?
Rich Sprunk:
11:27-11:30
Are they thinking, "Well, if Jesus is going to die, somebody's got to take over.
Rich Sprunk:
11:31-11:32
Might as well be me." Right?
Rich Sprunk:
11:33-11:36
I don't know what they're thinking, but it's deja vu all over again.
Rich Sprunk:
11:37-11:42
Three times, he tells them, "I'm going to be killed." And three times, somebody wants to be first.
Rich Sprunk:
11:42-11:47
And Jesus says to remind them, "You've got to be servants of all." The disciples don't get it.
Rich Sprunk:
11:47-11:51
James and John are so bold as to go to Jesus and ask first place.
Rich Sprunk:
11:51-11:52
We want first place.
Rich Sprunk:
11:52-11:55
But they have not got a clue what they're asking for.
Rich Sprunk:
11:56-11:59
And Jesus flips all their expectations upside down, doesn't He?
Rich Sprunk:
11:59-12:09
"To be great, one must be a servant. To be first, you must be last of all." Jesus says, "Look at me. I'm among you as a servant, a slave." Where are you getting your ideas about greatness?
Rich Sprunk:
12:10-12:15
Some people see Christianity as a gateway to getting ahead, to having the best earthly life, right?
Rich Sprunk:
12:15-12:24
A life with abundant material possessions, perfect health, holy ghost power that sets them apart from less spiritual Christians.
Rich Sprunk:
12:25-12:30
Some even see it as a means to having respect and a good name and a reputation for good character.
Rich Sprunk:
12:30-12:32
Through Christ, they get power for living.
Rich Sprunk:
12:32-12:34
They become unshakable and fearless.
Rich Sprunk:
12:34-12:41
They become purpose-driven warriors of the light, killing metaphorical lions and conquering all their enemies.
Rich Sprunk:
12:42-12:51
I listened to a podcast not long ago where the pastor was just exulting about, "I just love this conqueror theology." Who are we conquering?
Rich Sprunk:
12:51-13:06
In response to our, "We want you to do for us whatever we ask," Jesus replies, "Be a servant." In response to, "My faith is all about me first," Jesus says, "Be a slave, be last." So we're gonna turn to the stark differences between being first and the last.
Rich Sprunk:
13:07-13:12
And I will tell you that those who want to be first, humanly speaking, those who want to be first are killers.
Rich Sprunk:
13:12-13:14
And there's a multitude of ways to kill.
Rich Sprunk:
13:15-13:16
Now that might seem like an overstatement.
Rich Sprunk:
13:17-13:27
But consider, not too long before they asked to be first, James and John wanted to turn an entire city in Samaria into crispy critters, because they rejected Jesus.
Rich Sprunk:
13:28-13:35
See, Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, and they were going to go through a town of Samaria, and he sent messengers ahead to let them know he was coming.
Rich Sprunk:
13:36-13:48
And when the Samaritans found out he was going to Jerusalem, they were like, "We want nothing to do with you, Jesus." And when James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them.
Rich Sprunk:
13:49-13:51
Do we do this when we see people rejecting Jesus?
Rich Sprunk:
13:53-13:54
Yeah, yeah we do.
Rich Sprunk:
13:55-13:57
But this goes back even further, all the way to the beginning of time.
Rich Sprunk:
13:58-14:02
Because, you see, Satan wanted, Satan still wants to be first.
Rich Sprunk:
14:03-14:09
And Jesus said of him, "He was a murderer from the beginning." And what did he use to bring down Adam and Eve?
Rich Sprunk:
14:09-14:13
Question, words, doesn't take weapons to kill.
Rich Sprunk:
14:14-14:16
Cain wanted to be first, and he just brought some fruit.
Rich Sprunk:
14:17-14:18
God be happy with this.
Rich Sprunk:
14:19-14:20
God was not pleased.
Rich Sprunk:
14:21-14:21
Cain got angry.
Rich Sprunk:
14:22-14:29
Cain wanted to justify himself, and he couldn't get his hands on God, but he could get his hands on Abel, the one whom God favored.
Rich Sprunk:
14:29-14:30
And what did he do to his brother?
Rich Sprunk:
14:31-14:32
He killed him.
Rich Sprunk:
14:33-14:41
Lamech, we read in Genesis, killed others for injuring him, and proclaimed that if Cain is avenged seven times, Lamech 77 times.
Rich Sprunk:
14:41-14:53
Moses, raised in the palace, but he knew he was a Hebrew, and so he goes out among the Hebrews, fancies himself the deliverer of his people, and he sees an Egyptian beating an Israelite.
Rich Sprunk:
14:53-14:54
What does Moses do?
Rich Sprunk:
14:55-14:58
"Hey, you two, don't fight anymore." No, he kills the Egyptian.
Rich Sprunk:
15:00-15:02
This impulse affects even people who profess love for God.
Rich Sprunk:
15:03-15:04
Look at the life of David.
Rich Sprunk:
15:05-15:15
When Nabal humiliated and embarrassed David after David and his men had protected Nabal and all his goods, David got angry. He was going to kill him.
Rich Sprunk:
15:15-15:18
He was going to go kill Nabal, but for Abigail intervening.
Rich Sprunk:
15:19-15:25
And we know he did kill Uriah the Hittite to cover up his sin with Bathsheba and maintain his first place.
Rich Sprunk:
15:26-15:32
James points out that our passions are at war within us and that we desire and do not have, so we murder.
Rich Sprunk:
15:34-15:37
After the Passover, Jesus' disciples pulled out a couple of swords.
Rich Sprunk:
15:37-15:39
They were ready for insurrection in Jesus' name.
Rich Sprunk:
15:39-15:43
They were willing to kill people for the name of Jesus.
Rich Sprunk:
15:44-15:46
Peter even cut off the servant of the high priest there.
Rich Sprunk:
15:47-15:56
Jesus said, "Enough of this." The ultimate example of those who would be first among God's people committing murder is the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
Rich Sprunk:
15:57-16:02
They plotted Jesus' death for years until they finally got what they wanted.
Rich Sprunk:
16:04-16:06
And if we think, "Well, that's not me.
Rich Sprunk:
16:06-16:19
"I wouldn't kill anybody. I wouldn't do those kinds of things." In Matthew 5, 21-22, Jesus reminds us that murder starts in our hearts, and it's in our hearts where we desire to have supremacy over other people.
Rich Sprunk:
16:20-16:23
We would do well to remember that there are many ways to kill others.
Rich Sprunk:
16:24-16:34
Harsh and cutting words, gossip and innuendo, condescending attitude, emotional and physical neglect, silence, verbally shutting down.
Rich Sprunk:
16:35-16:38
At the time of my marriage, I was shut down on my wife and I wouldn't talk to her.
Rich Sprunk:
16:39-16:45
I was killing my marriage. I was killing my wife. Jealousy, bitterness, anger.
Rich Sprunk:
16:46-16:50
We nurse grudges against people and think we're justified in doing it.
Rich Sprunk:
16:52-16:59
Unforgiveness and refusing to be reconciled. It's a refusal to love as Jesus Christ loves us.
Rich Sprunk:
17:00-17:03
And as a result of these things, marriages die.
Rich Sprunk:
17:04-17:05
Families split up.
Rich Sprunk:
17:06-17:06
Children run away.
Rich Sprunk:
17:07-17:07
People leave churches.
Rich Sprunk:
17:08-17:09
Churches divide.
Rich Sprunk:
17:10-17:15
See, the real problem with being first is someone else is going to be last.
Rich Sprunk:
17:15-17:17
Someone else is going to be put down.
Rich Sprunk:
17:17-17:19
They're going to be put into a difficult and painful place.
Rich Sprunk:
17:20-17:24
We all have known people who build themselves up by tearing other people down.
Rich Sprunk:
17:26-17:30
They exalt themselves by denigrating and insulting others.
Rich Sprunk:
17:30-17:33
Look at our country. We're tearing ourselves apart.
Rich Sprunk:
17:33-17:36
Tearing ourselves apart, one tweet at a time.
Rich Sprunk:
17:37-17:39
One post, one insult at a time.
Rich Sprunk:
17:40-17:42
Maybe we do this in the church too.
Rich Sprunk:
17:42-17:46
There's no patience, there's no love, no long suffering for the unsaved.
Rich Sprunk:
17:46-17:50
We look with contempt on people who are different, who espouse different ideas.
Rich Sprunk:
17:51-17:57
We pass judgment and sinners who have never heard the gospel are nevertheless despised and criticized because they don't obey God.
Rich Sprunk:
17:58-18:00
Of course they can't because they're dead.
Rich Sprunk:
18:01-18:06
How can you expect someone to obey the commands of God when they're dead in their sins and trespassing?
Rich Sprunk:
18:07-18:09
How do self-respecting Christians treat each other?
Rich Sprunk:
18:10-18:17
Why, what happens when there are two or more people who want to be first about some matter of doctrine or style of music, style of preaching?
Rich Sprunk:
18:17-18:18
How about the color of the chairs?
Rich Sprunk:
18:19-18:21
We fight and argue about colors of chairs and carpet.
Rich Sprunk:
18:21-18:26
Or maybe somebody has a ministry and they've been doing it for years and somebody else wants to join in.
Rich Sprunk:
18:27-18:31
And it's like, "No, no, this is mine. Mine, mine, you can't touch it, can't be part of it.
Rich Sprunk:
18:31-18:52
You can do what I tell you to do, but my minister." Yeah, those self-respecting Christians, they do what every self-respecting Christian would do. They fight. We fight about it. Or better yet, we don't talk about it at all. We just walk away from one another. And one or both sides nurses hard feelings. We have deep wounds and broken hearts. And someone thinks they're justified.
Rich Sprunk:
18:52-18:54
I'm right, they're wrong.
Rich Sprunk:
18:55-18:56
I don't have to forgive them.
Rich Sprunk:
18:57-19:00
Or maybe there's an expression of forgiveness, but there's no true reconciliation.
Rich Sprunk:
19:01-19:04
So perhaps the person who can't be first, they go somewhere else.
Rich Sprunk:
19:04-19:06
They probably go somewhere else and pick a fight.
Rich Sprunk:
19:07-19:08
Person who stays, they stay put.
Rich Sprunk:
19:09-19:13
And in their self-justification, they become a cancer in the church and wreck it.
Rich Sprunk:
19:14-19:17
Or maybe instead of a church imploding, people just kind of slip away.
Rich Sprunk:
19:18-19:20
Nothing said, there's no conflicts.
Rich Sprunk:
19:20-19:23
the congregation just kind of slowly wastes away and die.
Rich Sprunk:
19:23-19:26
I've seen these things. I've lived through them.
Rich Sprunk:
19:26-19:28
To my shame, I've done some of them.
Rich Sprunk:
19:30-19:31
So you see, those who want to be first are killers.
Rich Sprunk:
19:32-19:34
And there's a multitude of ways to kill.
Rich Sprunk:
19:35-19:37
But the last, the last are servants.
Rich Sprunk:
19:38-19:50
If I were to ask you, at the beginning I asked you, "Does anybody know anything about the 2008 Detroit Lions?" Nobody knew anything. But if I asked you something about 2018 Super Bowl champions, somebody could name the quarterback, right?
Rich Sprunk:
19:50-20:10
Anybody? Nick Foles. Nick Foles. Everybody knows about Nick Foles. Nick Foles' Cinderella story of winning the Super Bowl is a study of perseverance and faith. You know, a few years ago, he thought he was washed up. He was ready to retire. He was going to pack it in, but he just patiently persevered. And when opportunity knocked, he answered in a big way, didn't he?
Rich Sprunk:
20:11-20:18
See, we approve of guys like Nick Foles, right? A seemingly humble, hardworking believer. Oh, Oh, he just happens to be first, right?
Rich Sprunk:
20:18-20:20
He's a winner, but he's a servant leader.
Rich Sprunk:
20:21-20:22
We'd follow a guy like that anywhere.
Rich Sprunk:
20:23-20:24
But would you really?
Rich Sprunk:
20:24-20:25
Would you gear up?
Rich Sprunk:
20:25-20:36
Would you get out on the field with Nick Foles and run a play and throw a sacrificial crossbody block on that 300 pound outside linebacker charging straight at Nick?
Rich Sprunk:
20:36-20:37
Yeah, I don't think.
Rich Sprunk:
20:37-20:39
I wouldn't.
Rich Sprunk:
20:40-20:42
I don't think in that case I'd take one for the team.
Rich Sprunk:
20:43-20:43
But you know what, beloved?
Rich Sprunk:
20:44-20:46
This is what Jesus asks us to do.
Rich Sprunk:
20:46-20:46
Be a servant.
Rich Sprunk:
20:47-20:48
Be a slave.
Rich Sprunk:
20:49-20:50
Lay down your life.
Rich Sprunk:
20:50-20:51
Put to death the sin of pride.
Rich Sprunk:
20:52-20:54
Put selfish ambition to death.
Rich Sprunk:
20:54-20:55
Put self to death.
Rich Sprunk:
20:55-20:56
Put to death your self-interest.
Rich Sprunk:
20:57-20:59
You see, in the body of Christ, we don't get to be first.
Rich Sprunk:
21:00-21:01
And we don't even get to be second.
Rich Sprunk:
21:02-21:03
We have the high task of being last.
Rich Sprunk:
21:04-21:07
So let's look at the transforming power of being last.
Rich Sprunk:
21:08-21:11
During His earthly ministry, Jesus did everything the opposite of the world.
Rich Sprunk:
21:11-21:15
He did everything opposite of what you would expect a Messiah to do.
Rich Sprunk:
21:15-21:17
He didn't insert His power or His prerogatives.
Rich Sprunk:
21:18-21:23
Unlike Adam and Eve, He didn't grasp at equality with God, but He showed us true humility.
Rich Sprunk:
21:24-21:30
In His earthly ministry, He did not assert His first rights, but He made Himself least and last of all.
Rich Sprunk:
21:31-21:31
He was poor.
Rich Sprunk:
21:31-21:32
He was homeless.
Rich Sprunk:
21:32-21:33
He was despised.
Rich Sprunk:
21:35-21:38
The challenge of being last begins with changing how we view ourselves as disciples.
Rich Sprunk:
21:39-21:41
It begins by adjusting our attitude.
Rich Sprunk:
21:42-21:51
We should, as Paul says in Philippians 2, verses 3-11, "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
Rich Sprunk:
21:52-21:56
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Rich Sprunk:
21:57-22:17
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grabbed, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men, and being found form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Rich Sprunk:
22:18-22:22
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name.
Rich Sprunk:
22:23-23:20
So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father." We see that Jesus was obedient, pursuing identity not in the success and material trappings of this world. But in conforming himself to the will of his Father alone, we should notice that he was exalted to the highest place precisely because he made himself nothing. Precisely because he made himself last. You see, in this earth, we worship first Jesus, we worship the Son of God, and one day we will be like Him in glory. We will be like Him and we will see Him as He is. But right now, where we walk, we need to imitate the Son of Man. We walk like the Son of Man. So we need to adjust our actions. That's the next thing. We need to adjust our actions. Look with me at John 13, verses 1-5 and 15-17.
Rich Sprunk:
23:20-23:42
"Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper.
Rich Sprunk:
23:43-24:43
He laid aside his outer garments and, taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. And then down further, 'You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If then I, 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 just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them." I'd like to look at this part of this passage in the New International Version. It says that Jesus knew the Father had put all things under his power and that he'd come from God and was returning to God. So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with a towel that was wrapped around him." I want to focus on some particular words in this passage.
Rich Sprunk:
24:43-24:53
Read this, "Jesus had all power, so he began to wash his disciples' feet." Jesus had all power, and he began to wash his disciples' feet.
Rich Sprunk:
24:54-25:02
Say that, "Jesus had all power, and he began to wash his disciples' feet." You see, Jesus has always been first.
Rich Sprunk:
25:02-25:07
And unlike us who quarrel and kill and fight to be first, what does he do with all his firstness?
Rich Sprunk:
25:08-25:09
What does he do with his power?
Rich Sprunk:
25:10-25:12
He becomes a menial slave.
Rich Sprunk:
25:12-25:17
He becomes a doulos, the lowest, most menial slave in the Roman economy.
Rich Sprunk:
25:18-25:21
Beloved, this ought to pierce our hearts.
Rich Sprunk:
25:21-25:25
We ought to look on this scene and cry out, "Woe to me! I am ruined.
Rich Sprunk:
25:25-25:29
I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips.
Rich Sprunk:
25:29-25:32
And my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.
Rich Sprunk:
25:33-25:35
How then should we respond to God's word?
Rich Sprunk:
25:36-25:37
I return to my opening question.
Rich Sprunk:
25:37-25:51
What would our families, our homes, our church be like if we sought to identify with this last Jesus, humbling ourselves below others, forgiving one another, falling over each other in an effort not to get to first place, but to last.
Rich Sprunk:
25:53-25:54
Let's look at a couple applications.
Rich Sprunk:
25:54-25:55
How about the world?
Rich Sprunk:
25:56-25:56
How about the world?
Rich Sprunk:
25:57-25:59
What do you do when you encounter somebody different?
Rich Sprunk:
26:00-26:05
Different color, different clothes, different ideas, you pass judgment.
Rich Sprunk:
26:06-26:10
I can't associate with this person because they have fill in the blank.
Rich Sprunk:
26:11-26:14
I'm not going to have anything to do with this person because they're fill in the blank.
Rich Sprunk:
26:15-26:16
I do this.
Rich Sprunk:
26:17-26:19
God forgive me when I do this.
Rich Sprunk:
26:19-26:21
What are you going to do when the world hurts you?
Rich Sprunk:
26:22-26:26
What are you going to do when the world does what the world does to you?
Rich Sprunk:
26:26-26:36
When somebody takes away your job, what are you going to do when someone hurts you, wrecks your stuff, and you got a lawsuit you could bring? What are you going to do when someone hurts your family?
Rich Sprunk:
26:37-26:40
When someone nearly kills you, what are you going to do? You're going to go get vengeance?
Rich Sprunk:
26:41-26:45
You're going to seek revenge? Are you going to seek to forgive? Are you going to show mercy?
Rich Sprunk:
26:46-26:54
Beloved, what are we going to do in the church? Some mornings I come in here and the pain is I see it in people's faces.
Rich Sprunk:
26:55-26:57
Our brothers and sisters are hurting.
Rich Sprunk:
26:58-27:00
Their marriages stink.
Rich Sprunk:
27:02-27:02
They're in pain.
Rich Sprunk:
27:03-27:04
What are we going to do?
Rich Sprunk:
27:04-27:06
Are we going to give them mindless little platitudes?
Rich Sprunk:
27:07-27:09
Or are we going to enter into their pain with them?
Rich Sprunk:
27:09-27:10
Are we going to pray with them?
Rich Sprunk:
27:11-27:12
Are we going to be compassionate towards them?
Rich Sprunk:
27:13-27:19
Or are we just going to, "Oh, God knows what he's doing." "The Lord has something better for you." Are we going to get into their pain?
Rich Sprunk:
27:19-27:22
and we're gonna get down into the place where our brothers and sisters are at.
Rich Sprunk:
27:23-27:27
Get down into that last place with them and love them.
Rich Sprunk:
27:27-27:29
When we're wronged in the church, are we gonna forgive?
Rich Sprunk:
27:30-27:35
Are we gonna do everything in our power to try to be reconciled with that person?
Rich Sprunk:
27:36-27:37
Are we gonna hold onto our pride?
Rich Sprunk:
27:37-27:39
Are we gonna seek to justify ourselves?
Rich Sprunk:
27:39-27:40
What are you gonna do?
Rich Sprunk:
27:41-27:43
Because Christian, that's where the rubber meets the road.
Rich Sprunk:
27:44-27:46
That's the litmus test of your belief.
Rich Sprunk:
27:46-27:51
What you do when you're wrong, What you do towards your brothers and sisters who are hurting.
Rich Sprunk:
27:52-27:54
I'd like to talk a little bit about families.
Rich Sprunk:
27:54-27:57
Husbands, do you serve your wives?
Rich Sprunk:
27:57-27:58
You need to.
Rich Sprunk:
27:59-28:01
If you've got little ones, you better be serving your wife.
Rich Sprunk:
28:02-28:18
"Honey, you've been in the kitchen all day. I'll do the dishes. I'll take care of this." "You go do something else you want to do." "Honey, you've been with the kids all day. I know they're sick. It's been a hard day." "You go get ready for bed. Go unwind." and I'll get the kids ready for bed.
Rich Sprunk:
28:18-28:21
I'll bathe them, I'll read to them, I'll pray with them, we'll get them to bed.
Rich Sprunk:
28:21-28:22
I'll take care of the kid.
Rich Sprunk:
28:23-28:26
Husbands, if you don't do this stuff for your wives, nobody else is.
Rich Sprunk:
28:26-28:29
And she wants you to do these things for her.
Rich Sprunk:
28:29-28:31
Do you spend time with your wife?
Rich Sprunk:
28:31-28:38
Do you make time out of every day, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, sit down and talk with your wife?
Rich Sprunk:
28:38-28:39
Listen to what she has to say.
Rich Sprunk:
28:40-28:45
I read somewhere, women have so many thousands of words they gotta speak a day, and man, we got like 100.
Rich Sprunk:
28:45-28:47
We come home from work and we're all talked out.
Rich Sprunk:
28:47-28:48
We're done talking.
Rich Sprunk:
28:48-28:49
Your wife is just getting started.
Rich Sprunk:
28:50-28:51
She needs somebody to talk to.
Rich Sprunk:
28:52-28:53
And you need to listen to her.
Rich Sprunk:
28:54-28:56
When she needs your help, husbands.
Rich Sprunk:
28:57-28:58
What?
Rich Sprunk:
28:58-28:59
What do you want now?
Rich Sprunk:
28:59-28:59
I'm busy.
Rich Sprunk:
29:00-29:01
I'm watching the football game.
Rich Sprunk:
29:01-29:04
Just, I tell you, wait, let me finish this level, right?
Rich Sprunk:
29:05-29:05
No.
Rich Sprunk:
29:06-29:07
Put your controller down.
Rich Sprunk:
29:08-29:09
Yes, honey, what can I do for you?
Rich Sprunk:
29:10-29:11
How can I help you?
Rich Sprunk:
29:12-29:13
Not, give me 15 minutes.
Rich Sprunk:
29:14-29:18
No. Your wife is you. Right?
Rich Sprunk:
29:18-29:20
Your wife is you. You are one.
Rich Sprunk:
29:22-29:23
Wives, what can you do for your husbands to serve them?
Rich Sprunk:
29:24-29:24
Some simple thing.
Rich Sprunk:
29:25-29:26
Respect your husband.
Rich Sprunk:
29:27-29:28
You may not think he's worthy of respect.
Rich Sprunk:
29:29-29:31
Maybe he's doing things that you don't respect him for.
Rich Sprunk:
29:31-29:32
But respect him.
Rich Sprunk:
29:33-29:37
And don't go out talking trash about him to your girlfriends or other people.
Rich Sprunk:
29:38-29:43
Now ladies, I'm not talking about a husband who abuses you, who hurts you physically.
Rich Sprunk:
29:43-29:45
You need to get out of that.
Rich Sprunk:
29:47-29:54
But if you've got a husband, even if he's just kind of a lump, you've still got to respect him and love him and bring him along.
Rich Sprunk:
29:54-29:56
My wife was patient with me.
Rich Sprunk:
29:57-29:58
It took me 31 years.
Rich Sprunk:
29:59-30:00
Spend time with your husband.
Rich Sprunk:
30:01-30:02
Find out what he likes to do.
Rich Sprunk:
30:03-30:04
And just be there.
Rich Sprunk:
30:04-30:07
You might not have to help him with what he's doing, but just be around him.
Rich Sprunk:
30:07-30:11
I read one guy, he said, you know, my wife, I like to work on cars.
Rich Sprunk:
30:11-30:17
and my wife, she'll just come out and she'll pull up a chair and she'll sit there and she'll do her nails while I'm changing the oil.
Rich Sprunk:
30:17-30:18
He loved that.
Rich Sprunk:
30:19-30:21
He loved that his wife was just there with him.
Rich Sprunk:
30:22-30:24
That's how she respected her husband and loved her husband.
Rich Sprunk:
30:25-30:28
These are some simple things, beloved, simple things.
Rich Sprunk:
30:28-30:29
There's more that could be said.
Rich Sprunk:
30:30-30:34
I wish I could say I do all the things that I've just talked about.
Rich Sprunk:
30:34-30:35
I don't.
Rich Sprunk:
30:35-30:36
I fail.
Rich Sprunk:
30:38-30:59
But I don't go around hangdog and (groans) of failure. No, I realize, and all of you should realize, God has begun a good work in us and He is faithful to complete it. And it's our job to walk and work out our faith with fear and trembling, not give up, but to put the death, the desire to be first.
Rich Sprunk:
30:59-31:03
We should remember that those who are last, those who seek to be last, are not losers.
Rich Sprunk:
31:05-31:14
We're the real overcomers of the world. And it's there where we find true victorious living, And it's precisely there where real fellowship with Jesus exists.
Rich Sprunk:
31:15-31:16
None of us here wants to be a killer.
Rich Sprunk:
31:16-31:19
We want to be imitators of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Rich Sprunk:
31:19-31:22
We want to be imitators of the Son of Man.
Rich Sprunk:
31:22-31:23
He has set us an example.
Rich Sprunk:
31:24-31:26
Beloved, it's time to gear up and get in the game.
Rich Sprunk:
31:27-31:27
Let's pray.
Rich Sprunk:
31:28-31:32
Our gracious Father, we thank you for your patience and long-suffering with us.
Rich Sprunk:
31:33-31:36
You didn't look at us and say, "Oh, look at that miserable sinner.
Rich Sprunk:
31:37-31:45
I'm not going to save him or her." No, while we were yet enemies, while we were still enemies, Christ died for us.
Rich Sprunk:
31:46-31:50
He loved us with steadfast love.
Rich Sprunk:
31:51-31:52
You served us.
Rich Sprunk:
31:53-31:54
You still serve us.
Rich Sprunk:
31:55-32:01
Father, we ask that You help us to be imitators of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man.
Rich Sprunk:
32:02-32:11
To treat others with the same love and compassion and generosity that you have lavished on us.
Rich Sprunk:
32:11-32:19
And it's for the name of Jesus and in the glorious name of Jesus that we ask these things.
Rich Sprunk:
32:20-32:20
Amen.
Small Group Questions (Whole Group):
Read a selection of the passenges above...
Why was it necessary for Jesus to come in poverty rather than power in His first advent?
In what ways do we seek to be first in the world? In the Church?
If we should not seek to be first in the Church, how should one lead?
Is it an exaggeration to say those who seek to be first are killers?
Consider these verses:Luke 9:53-55
John 8:44
Genesis 4:3-8
Genesis 4:23-24
Exodus 2:11-15a
1 Samuel 25:10-13, 21-22
2 Samuel 11:14-17
James 4:1-4
Matt 5:21-22
Luke 22:36-38, 49-51
Mark 10:33-34
What are some ways people serve? Are we susceptible to involving ourselves in “activities” as a substitute for serving?
Why, in God’s economy, are the last not losers? Why, in the world’s eyes, might we look like losers?
What are some ways we can adjust our attitudes? About who and what do we need to adjust our attitudes?
What are some ways we can adjust our actions?
Will our actions matter if we have not first adjusted our attitudes, i.e., the motives of our hearts?
“For I have given you an example….”
Breakout Questions:
Pray for one another.
