{"id":122,"date":"2018-11-06T16:39:17","date_gmt":"2018-11-07T00:39:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/migrate.bettersermons.org\/?p=122"},"modified":"2020-06-01T11:40:53","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T18:40:53","slug":"i-want-to-sit-by-the-window","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/i-want-to-sit-by-the-window\/","title":{"rendered":"I Want to Sit by the Window!"},"content":{"rendered":"
I Want to Sit by the Window!<\/span><\/div>\n

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Key Passage<\/strong>:\u00a0Luke 9:23:\u00a0If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
\n<\/em>Key Thought<\/strong>: Greed and self-serving are alien to Jesus\u2019 kingdom of sacrifice and service.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Photo: Mitch Aunger<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Story:<\/strong>\u00a0A man was fuming in his apartment one night. The neighbors below him were making a huge racket. Thumping, clumping, bumping . . . and he was grumping. Why couldn\u2019t he have some peace and quiet? Why couldn\u2019t he get some rest? Why didn\u2019t people show a little respect anymore? He thought about calling the police, but hesitated because the kids downstairs had actually tried to be nice to him a couple of times. Waving to him in the hallway; saying hi in the elevator. But now all this racket\u2014it was too much. He dialed 911.<\/p>\n

Twenty minutes later the police knocked on his door. Yes, they had investigated. Would he be willing to come downstairs as they went over the situation? Ouch! That would be awkward, and he protested, but the cops were persuasive, so he followed them downstairs. When the police knocked, and the door swung open, he found that all the hubbub and the moving of furniture had been because the downstairs neighbors and friends had been planning a surprise birthday party . . . for him. There was cake and ice cream and streamers and presents. And he had just called the cops to break up his own birthday party.<\/p>\n

This is an\u00a0oops<\/em>\u00a0moment, a \u201cpregnant pause.\u201d In Luke 9, at the worst possible moment, the 12 disciples of Jesus argue among themselves about who the best disciple is. On their playground, each wanted to be the teacher\u2019s pet. \u201cHe likes me most!\u201d \u201cNo, me!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow far the disciples were from the spirit of Jesus comes out in\u00a0their argument as to which of them was the greatest.<\/em>\u00a0Jesus had just spoken of his sacrificial death for men. They were speaking of their pride of place. This may be part of the reason for their inability to understand. They were thinking of themselves, he of others.\u201d\u00a0Tyndale NT Commentary<\/em>\u00a0by Dr. Leon Morris.<\/p>\n

Conundrum:<\/strong>\u00a0In Luke 9:22-25, Jesus describes how he\u2019s going to have to suffer, be rejected, and die. He will lay aside his glory, his power, his claims to fame. He will surrender to a cross, the ultimate instrument of shame. He\u2019s going to make himself nothing; this is going to be THE defining expression of humbling that the universe has ever seen: God Himself on a cross.<\/p>\n

So Jesus has\u00a0just said<\/em>: \u201cMen, the plan is one of humiliation. Of being in the dust. Of relinquishing all titles.\u201d But just 24 verses later\u2014incredibly, we\u2019re still in Luke 9\u2014what are the disciples doing? They\u2019re climbing all over each other to get to the head of the class. It\u2019s like one of those three-legged races in kindergarten where you push your opponent over so you can win. It\u2019s as childish as that, and all the more obviously so considering that Jesus has just gone over the entire blueprint with them.<\/p>\n

Application:<\/strong>\u00a0We shouldn\u2019t be too hard on the disciples. We have less excuse than Peter, James, and John because we live on the \u201cdone deal\u201d side of Calvary. Yet we spend a lot of time on the playground of life pushing others off the monkey bars so that we can get to the top first.<\/p>\n

Confrontation:<\/strong>\u00a0In Mark, Jesus actually confronts the men over this \u201cwho will be greatest\u201d tug of war. It\u2019s like the villain in the opening story, where you realize with shame that you\u2019ve been shallow around the very person whose love for you runs so deep. Jesus asks: \u201cWhat were you men arguing about on the road to Capernaum?\u201d They\u2019re ashamed to tell Him: \u201cWe were just discussing who would be your vice president when we win the election next November, Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Contrast:<\/strong>\u00a0\u201cWhen Christ and the disciples were alone in the house, while Peter was gone to the sea, Jesus called the others to Him, and asked, \u2018What was it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?\u2019 The presence of Jesus, and His question, put the matter in an entirely different light from that in which it had appeared to them while they were contending by the way. Shame and self-condemnation kept them silent. Jesus had told them that He was to die for their sake, and their selfish ambition was in painful contrast to His unselfish love.\u201d\u00a0Desire of Ages.<\/em><\/p>\n

Scenario:<\/strong>\u00a0Think how much it would hurt to have Jesus suddenly be in the room while you and a friend are talking about something stupid, selfish, shallow, lascivious, or low. He gently asks: \u201cWhat are you two discussing?\u201d With Jesus right there, with the light of heaven making a cross-shaped shadow on your cubicle wall, He asks you: \u201cWhat have you been talking about? Where has your mind been dwelling of late?\u201d You realize with a start how completely wrong that conversation\u2014and really, so many conversations\u2014are.<\/p>\n

Some Things Never Change:<\/strong>\u00a0In Luke 22 they\u2019re in the Upper Room for the Passover feast. Jesus knows that in less than 24 hours he\u2019s going to be crucified, so he\u2019s down to the last day of His earthly time with the disciples. Even here at the finish line, what are his closest followers doing? Still jockeying for position. Verse 24:\u00a0\u201cA dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0On the last night they\u2019re together, they\u2019re still at it.<\/p>\n

Only John includes the well-known detail about how Jesus himself put on the garb of a servant and washed the dusty feet of these 12 proud, egomaniacal men. John regretfully reminisces in 13:3 that in the full knowledge he was divine, that he was God, Jesus quietly dons a towel, gets a basin of water, and does the humble thing. While all 12 of his best friends are speeding down the superhighway of self-exaltation, careening headlong toward the wrong kingdom, the kingdom that is never going to be, Jesus washes their feet.<\/p>\n

Confession:<\/strong>\u00a0It kills me to read this, and it kills me to see myself in the limo with those poor, deluded disciples, trying to get the best seats at a non-existent presidential ball.<\/p>\n

Still a Forgiver:<\/strong>\u00a0But how wonderful to find that Jesus still loves His wayward friends.\u00a0\u201cWhen He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. \u2018Do you understand what I have done for you?\u2019 He asked them. You call me \u2018Teacher\u2019 and \u2018Lord,\u2019 and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another\u2019s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(John 13:12-15)<\/p>\n

Now he gently sets them straight. Who will be greatest? Who will be #1? Well, it\u2019s certainly not going to be any of the 12 of them. It\u2019s going to be the man with the towel and the wash basin.\u00a0\u201c\u2018I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than His master, nor is a messenger greater than the One who sent him.\u2019\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(v. 16)<\/p>\n

Invitation:<\/strong>\u00a0Come to the Upper Room and stay there. We need to feel the cool water splashing around our feet and sense that Jesus, the humble servant of all, is right now, today and every day, reminding us that the kingdom is here. Serving. Humbling. Going last. Lifting up the kingdom instead of our own foolish ambitions. The Upper Room and the Cross\u2014we need to hang around those two places all the time.
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Submitted by David B. Smith. Better Sermons \u00a9 2005-2008. Click here for\u00a0<\/span>usage guidelines<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I Want to Sit by the Window! Key Passage:\u00a0Luke 9:23:\u00a0If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. Key Thought: …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":123,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122\/revisions\/123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bettersermons.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}