Blessed Hope Community Church

Hello everyone,

My lovely wife picked out some hymns for service this Sunday.  Please feel free to use them to bring glory to our Lord and saviour.

• The Battle Belongs To The Lord
• Redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb
• Love Lifted Me
• In My Heart There Rings a Melody

I’m in process of preparing my message for this Sunday. After getting home from picking up some stuff for a birthday party I checked Swamp Bubbles and found this post. Since the question of the roll of the church came up and it relates to my message this week I thought I would expound on it here.

Mark 10:34-45 (AKJV) -

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come to him, saying, Master, we would that you should do for us whatever we shall desire. 36 And he said to them, What would you that I should do for you? 37 They said to him, Grant to us that we may sit, one on your right hand, and the other on your left hand, in your glory. 38 But Jesus said to them, You know not what you ask: can you drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? 39 And they said to him, We can. And Jesus said to them, You shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized with shall you be baptized: 40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not my to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John. 42 But Jesus called them to him, and said to them, You know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority on them. 43 But so shall it not be among you: but whoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: 44 And whoever of you will be the most chief, shall be servant of all. 45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

For whatever their motives where they asked Jesus to be his top two guys. The other then apostles freaked out because they feared loosing their stature in this life. Jesus then told them exactly what this meant to be Jesus’ left and right hand man.

James and John came to Jesus. They asked ‘Master, you will do whatever we desire.?’ Jesus said to them ‘What would do you want me to do for you?’ So the brothers said ‘Let us sit at you left and right hand in your glory (magnificence, excellence, preeminence, dignity, grace).’

Jesus said back to them ‘You don’t know what your asking. Can you drink of the cup that I drink of? Can you be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ Drink of the cup refers to enduring the same suffering that do. The baptism refers to the baptism of fire, his death in disgrace.

James and John said to Jesus, ‘We can.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘You shall will indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized. But to sit on my right and my left hand is not decision; but its for the one sent me here.’ Jesus knew what their position was but he reminded them that its not his decision. All things come from the father and Jesus is only a servant of God.

And when the ten other apostles heard of it they ticked at James and John. But Jesus called them together and said to them, ‘You know that they which are accountable to rule over the Gentiles, the non believers, they have great power over other non believers. Their great ones user their power and authority upon them.’

Jesus coninues, ‘But it will not be that way with you. Whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.’ True believer are not there to control people. They are there to server people and help them grow closer to God. That what Jesus was sent here to do.

‘For even the Son of man, Jesus, came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’ Jesus came as salvation for us. He came to serve as us.

Many religious systems, many church create hierarchical systems of worship. Jesus said I am the path to God. Do the things of my father, not make yourself into a religious lead who craves power.

In Mark 9:34-35 Jesus Came in similar problem with Apostles. They were agruing about who would be the greatest. Jesus said: “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” The way I explained it last week was that the first two to heaven will have to hold open the gates for everyone else.

If have the desire to be a bishop or other religious leader its a position of servitude, not power or control. You give others the Word of God through your teaching and actions. If you act any other way you are worse then the Gentiles, then Sodom and Gomorrah.

Were over half way through the book of Mark.  We’ll be finishing up chapter 9 this week and moving into 10.  We maybe looking for a new place.  It depends on how things in the next month at our current location.

BTW: Sorry for the slow updates.  Shortly after we started the church my grandfather passed away.  The services have continued but I haven’t been able to update the website.