1/3/18 – Leviticus 5:14-19, Leviticus 6, Leviticus 7:1-10 Mark 10:32-52 Proverbs 6:12-19

Mark 10:43-45

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 slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Many want to lead because they want to on the top. That’s the problem with most positions of power, they are occupied by people who want power.

But the Kingdom isn’t like this. The kingdom is the race to the bottom.

The best leaders serve. They don’t make themselves bigger than anyone else.

Yes they lead and take charge, but they don’t do it to be first – they do it to propel others forwards.

To church leaders, we need to understand: The church is not in serve to us. We are in service to the church.

Mark 10:46-47

And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

This man has nothing. He is blind and has been reduced to begging. It’s not like today, that if you are blind there is support and guide dogs – a system in place to allow you to live a relatively normal life.

He cannot work – he is a beggar. He is desperate.

And he hears that Jesus has come to town. Actually – what he hears is a commotion and he has to ask someone what it’s all about. He had to enquire what the noise meant.

And someone tells him – Jesus is passing by.

And Bartimeaus has an opportunity. He’s heard of Jesus – clearly – because when he hears that He is passing by he leaps into action. He may have even heard that very recently Jesus healed a blind man at the pool of Bethesda. That kind of information would get around and this man takes his opportunity.

He shouts out and the crowds tell him to shut up. His reaction? He shouts even louder.

You see he realised that he may have only had this one chance to ask Jesus to help him.

He didn’t know if he’d pass this way again and even if he did, as a blind man he may not have been aware. He persisted and he cried out.

It’s amazing how many people don’t take this opportunity when it comes along and miss out.

Someone points out to them that Jesus is near – someone even gives them directions on how to find Him – there is an opportunity that presents itself and they miss it. That may have been the only chance.

This man knows that and he does everything he can to seize it.

And he received a healing. There and then. Jesus opened this man’s eyes and he could see. Imagine how much his life would change at this moment.

Instead of begging – he could get on with his life, nothing would ever be the same again for this man, because he took the opportunity to seek Jesus.

How many opportunities do we let slide away? How many people let these chances go? Maybe that’s you. You have an opportunity, you’ve had many before – but you’ve let it go. Don’t’ miss out – don’t miss the chance to have your life changed by Jesus.

 

Prov 6:12-14

A worthless person, a wicked man,

goes about with crooked speech,

winks with his eyes, signals with his feet,

points with his finger,

with perverted heart devises evil,

continually sowing discord;

 

This is the sort of person you cannot trust. Someone who is always looking to bring others down, whose every compliment it mixed with a wink, who will not say what they mean to your face.

Always pointing at the lack in others, always bringing them down and getting away with saying “just joking”.

Always sowing discord – always letting you know why you shouldn’t trust someone else.

Sadly we will meet many people like this, even in church. But don’t but unsettled or disheartened by them. They are worthless and wicked and even though they might not know it they are used to get you to lose focus.

Look to be with people who do the opposite of this. People who mean what they say, who aren’t bringing others down, who aren’t always accusing others.