Worship Helps for Lent 4
Worship Theme: Jesus
calls us from sinful selfishness to selfless service. We can view the world
from the perspective of selfishness or selflessness. Selfishness puts self
before all and leads to favoritism, pride and envy. Repentance, however, means
despairing of self, trusting in Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice and leading
lives of selfless service modeled after our Savior who came not to be served
but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for us.
1. What do we learn about the choice between selfishness
or selflessness from Joseph?
Epistle: Romans 8:1-10 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free
from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to
do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son
in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in
sinful man, 4 in order
that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not
live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. 5
Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that
nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their
minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is
death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7
the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it
do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the
Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the
Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is
in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of
righteousness.
2. Why are
the opening words (verse 1) so triumphant?
3. While the Law no longer condemns us, it still has a
function. What is the Law’s purpose for us now? (verse 4)
Gospel: Matthew 20:17-28 Now as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside
and said to them, 18 "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son
of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They
will condemn him to death 19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles
to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to
life!" 20 Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with
her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him. 21 "What is
it you want?" he asked. She said, "Grant that one of these two sons
of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22 "You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them.
"Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" "We can," they
answered. 23 Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my
cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong
to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father." 24
When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of
the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority
over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become
great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be
first must be your slave-- 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to
be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
4. What was
the “cup” of which Jesus spoke?
5. Why is pride such a dangerous sin?
6. How do
Jesus’ life and ministry provide a model for us?
Answers:
1. The life of Joseph illustrates Jesus’ message that
whoever wants to be first must be your slave. Selfishness led to Jacob’s
favoritism and his sons’ jealousy. Selfishness led Jacob and his sons to such
pride that they could not imagine God’s prophecy about Joseph coming true.
Their selfishness forced Joseph into the role of slave and servant, yet God in
his grace would save many people in spite of their sin. Sold into slavery and
jailed unjustly, Joseph would trust in God and selflessly serve his fellow man.
Ultimately, God brought the prideful low and raised up humble Joseph. In doing
so, He both fulfilled his prophecy and also saved the family of God and
countless others.
2. Paul has already discoursed at length on the reality of
sin and its consequences as well as on God’s faithfulness and his gracious
forgiveness in Christ. As Christians, he acknowledged that we are still
struggling daily with the sinful nature that is part of us, but that we are
being rescued by Jesus Christ (7:21 -25).
Now the triumphant confidence naturally follows: THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR
THOSE FOUND IN CHRIST! What a comfort. What a relief for sin-challenged
Christians!
3. The “righteous requirements of the law” speak not of
achieving God’s demanded perfection. Remember that there is no condemnation in
Christ! This use of the Law is referred to as the “guide” or “rule,” which we
obey out of love for God through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
4. The cup was Jesus’ suffering and death, which he was
headed to Jerusalem to drink.
5.
It is incorrect to consider one sin more punishable than another,
but pride causes a person to ignore his need for spiritual help, and that can
be a damning mistake.
6.
Jesus revealed the plan of the Father to his disciples: the Son of
God would leave his heavenly throne and selflessly give his freedom to his
enemies, his body to the torturer, his life to the executioner in order that he
might be our Savior. Rather than marveling at the depth of his love and
self-sacrifice, the disciples argued about places of greatness in glory. The
sons of Zebedee wanted to sit at the right and left of Jesus, but were only
promised that they would join in drinking his cup. The other disciples were
indignant, but not righteously so. Jesus corrected them, too. Followers of
Jesus drink his cup and find greatness in selflessly serving others. For our
motivation and our model, Christ points back to God’s plan for the Son of Man
who came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for
many.
Putting
your faith into action
When God allows us to endure
suffering at the hands of our own sinful choices, he does so in order that we
might see the cause and depth of the problem in our hearts and bring us to our
knees in repentance. But we can be sure that God never abandons us, for the
abandonment took place at the cross when he abandoned his Son. Knowing this
soothing gospel love of our Savior, we are encouraged to press on in our
struggle with selfishness and give our lives to the Lord’s service.
60] For inasmuch as our
nature has been corrupted by sin, and is worthy of, and subject to, God's wrath
and condemnation, God owes to us neither the Word, the Spirit, nor grace; and
when He bestows these gifts out of grace, we often thrust them from us, and
make ourselves unworthy of everlasting life, Acts 13:46. And this His
righteous, well-deserved judgment He displays in some countries, nations, and
persons, in order that, when we are placed alongside of them and compared with
them [and found to be most similar to them], we may learn the more diligently
to recognize and praise God's pure [immense], unmerited grace in the vessels of
mercy.
61] For
no injustice is done those who are punished and receive the wages of their
sins; but in the rest, to whom God gives and preserves His Word, by which men
are enlightened, converted, and preserved, God commends His pure [immense]
grace and mercy, without their merit.
62] When we proceed thus
far in this article, we remain on the right [safe and royal] way, as it is
written Hos. 13:9: O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in Me is thy
help.
63] However, as regards
these things in this disputation which would soar too high and beyond these
limits, we should, with Paul, place the finger upon our lips, and remember and
say, Rom. 9:20: O man, who art thou that repliest against God? – Solid
Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Article XI, Election (paragraphs 60-63)
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