I. Introduction: The Bible offers many paradoxes to the average reader. According to Webster a paradox is “a statement that seems contradictory.” However, the child of God realizes that these apparent contradictions are not contradictions at all, but express great truths for us to learn and apply.
II. To be the greatest, we must be the least.
- Mark 9:33-35
- Matthew 20:24-28
- The apostles, like so many people, wanted to have power over others.
- Jesus rebuked their arguments against one another. Notice that these
- arguments were causing hard feelings among the disciples!
- Jesus told them that the greatest would be the servant of all.
- Jesus, who is Lord of All and King of Kings, demonstrated this.
III. John 13:2-17
- Jesus’ lesson is that those who would be like Him would serve.
- If Jesus were like many religious leaders of His day He would
- desire to be called Rabbi in the marketplace, be treated special
- and carried about. Yet Jesus showed greatness by serving.
- Ultimately He would serve by dying on the cross.
- How much more should we not serve one another as Jesus has humbled
- Himself in service to us.
- “Must I be carried to the skies on flowery beds of ease, while others
- fought to win the prize and sailed through bloody seas?”
- The work is OURS to do, we are to work, and in serving we will
- be great in the eyes of God.
- God is the one who is to exalt us.
IV. James 4:10
V. 1 Peter 5:6
VI. To grow, we must become like children.
- Matthew 18:3-4
- If we want to grow spiritually, we must humble ourselves like children before
- the throne of God, open His word, and follow Him.
VII. 1 Corinthians 1:18-23
- 1 Peter 2:1-3 - We humbly take the word that our spirits may grow.
- We may be wise according to the worlds standards and even aged, but unless
- we become like children before God and feed on His word, we cannot grow.
VIII. To be free, we must be slaves.
- Romans 6:16-22
- Whether we realize it or not, we are slaves to Jesus or Satan.
IX. Some can deceive themselves: John 8:37-47
- Some give lip service to Jesus but serve Satan: Luke 6:46
- We do not show our allegiance by what we say but what we do.
- Slaves of sin are paid death, but the righteous receive everlasting life freely.
- So then our lives will not be determined by what we want to do but what our
- Master commands us to do.
X. 1 John 5:1-5
XI. 1 John 3:18-19
XII. To live, we must die.
- Romans 6:8
- In the figurative sense we die with Christ, are buried with Him in
- baptism, and are raised to walk a new life.
- Also, when we die to the world, putting off the old man of sin, and are
- buried with Jesus in baptism, we have the hope of our resurrection and
- eternal life with God.
- Galatians 2:20
- As Christians we crucify our sinful past and begin a new life with Christ
- living in us.
- It is not what I want to do, but what Christ wants me to do.
- That “old man of sin” will not die gently.
XIII. Galatians 5:16-18
XIV. Romans 7:23-24
XV. 1 Corinthians 9:27
- If we want to live with God eternally, we must die to the world, 1 Peter 4:1-6.
- The only way to really live on this earth is to do the will of God.
- Following after sin is a hopeless life of meaninglessness with no future.
XVI. To be rich, we must be poor.
- Matthew 19:21
- There is no inherent virtue in poverty, however our possessions can get
- in the way of what is truly important.
- We can be so busy seeking to build “a life” here that we lose the eternal
- life that God has promised, Luke 12:16-21.
- Our treasures, what we value, must be in heaven.
- It will affect our whole outlook and decision making to show
- what is really important.
- Hebrews 11:13-16
- The Jews who returned to rebuild the temple after the captivity had a problem
- with this, Haggai 1:2-11
- Some suggest that the panels in their house were meant for the temple.
- They were living in very good conditions but the temple was in ruin.
- We, too, can be so concerned with building up our own houses that we
- do not get involved with the work that needs to be done in the local
- church and do not give financially as we should.
- We should not expect the rich blessings of God if we withold from God
- what He deserves.
- Unlike the world, our lives will not be measured by what we owned, our jobs,
- our neighborhood, our last name, our alma mater, our cars, or our clothes.
XVII. We will be judged by our works.
- Dorcas: Acts 9:36, 39
- James 2:1-5 - Lack of wealth would be a benefit!
- Many proverbs that we have read have extolled the importance
- of keeping wealth in perspective
- Proverbs 13:7
- Proverbs 15:16-17, 27
- Proverbs 17:1
- If we want to find our worth, it will not be in our banking account, our garage,
- our neighborhood, or on a plaque on our wall, it will be in the Lamb’s book
- of life: Revelation 20:12-15
XVIII. If we want to find our life, we must lose it.
- Matthew 16:24-27
- There were some who would deny Jesus when persecuted and would save their
- lives but lose their souls eternally.
- Jesus calls us to take a cross, an instrument of death.
- Jesus expects us to be willing to die when we come to follow Him.
- Luke 12:8-9 - We cannot deny him
- Revelation 2:10 - Not time, but cost.
- This sums up all that we have discussed:
- We sacrifice our pride to be servants of our brethren.
- We sacrifice our time, money, comfort, and earthly gain to recive
- greater riches in God.
- We become slaves of Jesus and do all that He commands.
- We humble ourselves that we may grow in Christ and be exalted in
- due time.
- We must be willing to make that confession that Jesus is the Christ, and repent
- of our sins and change our mind towards God and His word, and die spiritually
- to the world, be buried with Jesus in baptism, and be raised to walk with Him
- in a new life where “it is not I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” And to be
- faithful until we die, even our faith causes our death.