Jesus Teaching About Salvation & Rewards

One of the amazing things about our Lord's life and ministry is the different kinds of people that he came into contact with and we'll see that and have been seeing that in our study of the life of Christ as we near the end of his life as we near the time when he is we'll be in Jerusalem ready to give his life for our sins we're tracing his steps as he makes his way towards Jerusalem. We are in Matthew chapter 19 tonight so we want to begin there Matthew chapter 19. We stopped in the middle of a story last week so let me remind you of where we are Jesus as I mentioned is seeing different kinds of people and this is again one of the most fascinating things to me to think of the different kinds of people and interactions he has with people and situations he's placed in and how he handles those we have seen in quick succession that our Lord deals with the question of the Pharisees regarding divorce which was designed to trap our Lord into an answer that would be impossible to be pleasing one way or the other and so he deals with that he dealt with it so masterfully as we saw and then right after that parents are bringing little children to him and the disciples are shewing them away and saying you know Jesus doesn't have time for that he's a very busy man get out of here take your shoulder with you go on and so Jesus says oh wait a second don't hinder them suffer the little children allow them to come to me and don't hinder them for such as the kingdom of heaven and Jesus used the children as an example of those who come to him in total dependence on someone else rather than their own efforts to save them so he deals with the Pharisees he deals with his disciples then he blesses the little children get some on his lap and and you can just see with an eager blessing with his hand on their head he's blessing these children and again amazing that he's in the shadow of the cross and yet his focuses on these little children and blessing them and then after that we saw that the next event was a man in verse 16 of Matthew 19 who came running up to Jesus and Mark says kneeling down before Jesus said to him master or teacher what good thing must I do to get eternal life and so he's asking basically how can I work my way to heaven what good thing can I do what great act of service can I do what great act of charity or benevolence or whatever can I do to get myself into heaven and we saw that Jesus is teaching about salvation in his interaction with this rich young ruler and what he begins to deal with is the prerequisite for salvation what is necessary before a person gets saved in the obvious direction of Jesus in his response to this man leads us to believe that what is necessary what the prerequisite is for salvation is to understand that you're a center and that's exactly where Jesus takes this man he takes him where he starts what good thing can I do Jesus picks up on that word good and he basically says okay I'll show you the standard that you're talking about you think you can do some good thing you're using the word good of yourself of a human being indicating that you believe human beings are good enough in and of themselves to do something that would merit heaven okay I'm gonna talk to you about what's good who's good and what goodness really is the standard is high Jesus said last week we saw that Jesus said basically standard is God in verse 17 why do you ask me about what is good there's only one who's good if you want to inner life keep the commandments so Jesus is saying the standard is very high you want to talk about doing something good there's only one who is good and that's God if you think you can measure up to that standard try keeping the commandments and so the guy ventures an effort he says which ones what commandments you're talking about and Jesus goes on to say well the standard is very clear if you're gonna keep the commandments get into heaven the standards very clear and remember he quoted five of the last six ten commandments and then use the summary statement of that second table the six commandments love your neighbors yourself and said there's a place for you to start and the guy said well I've done all that I've kept all those but I think probably he as we saw last week may have had a little bit of a sense that Jesus knew what his real problem was because the one commandment in that second tablet of the law that Jesus left out was thou shalt not covet and this is a man who who has trouble with his idol his God being possessions and so Jesus says okay in response to the man's question all these things I've kept what do I still lack Jesus moves in to the man's heart puts his finger right on his heart and says okay here's what you need to do to show whether or not you meet the standard of goodness that God requires he said if you want to be perfect if you want to be but to if you want to be complete if you want to really do what everything is in the law then verse 21 give your so your possessions give to the poor you'll have treasure in heaven then come follow me and we saw last time that Jesus was not saying you get to heaven by keeping the law that's not his point what Jesus is saying basically as the standard is very personal you have a problem it's called sin you haven't recognized it yet you haven't admitted it yet I'm gonna put my finger right on the sin problem in your life your sin is covetousness and your sin is that you have an idol a God one who is before God so you've broken both the first and the tenth commandments and and your problem is you've not recognized yourself to be a sinner Jesus was using the law to show the man that he missed the standard of good he could not measure up and that's the purpose of the law okay that's kind of a review where we were last week now Jesus having shown him the prerequisite for salvation that the man doesn't even understand that he's a sinner before he can be saved and Jesus has pointed that out well the man verse 22 when he heard this he went away sad because he had great wealth and so Jesus now in verse 23 begins to talk about the difficulty of salvation notice what he says then Jesus said to the disciples truly I tell you it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven and what Jesus is saying there is salvation is difficult for man it's hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven why is that so why is it hard for someone who is rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven don't have to trust God for anything okay sense of self-sufficiency I can meet all my own needs yeah okay I think that's that's a big part of the answer anything else you can think of why is it difficult for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven rich person maybe to attach to all this okay so the wealth may become a God one who controls or that which controls a person's life that then would blind them to their need right and that seems to be the case with this man he was blinded to his need because of his self-sufficient status well that's I think that pretty much summarizes any other any other thoughts about why it's difficult for a rich person to be saved is it possible for a rich person to be saved of course of course can you name some of the Bible that were Solomon David Abraham Abraham was very wealthy interestingly enough one of the next encounters that Jesus is going to have is as he enters Jericho on his way up to Jerusalem he meets a rich man a tax collector remember what his name was Zacchaeus and Zacchaeus will get saved okay just to show that it's not impossible for a rich person to come to Christ but it is more difficult and that's Jesus point in verse 23 it's difficult salvation is difficult for man to especially those who are self-sufficient who may have an idol in their hearts of their possessions and not then recognize their need but Jesus goes on to say something else in verse 24 not only does he say salvation is difficult for man he intensifies his argument in verse 24 when he says basically salvation is impossible for man verse 24 again I tell you this is a follow-up that's a that's a very common Hebrew way of thinking remember Jesus was a Jew even though we're in the New Testament he's he's thinking like a good Hebrew and Hebrew argument builds on itself lots of time you know the arguments in or the statements in the book of Proverbs three things are you know a certain category no for you know that's Hebrew way of thinking there's a step up and so verse 23 it's hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom and then Jesus steps up to the real point of the argument and that is it's impossible for man to come into the kingdom on his own at least verse 24 says again I tell you it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God it's impossible for man to get saved on on his own now is is the point some have said that the eye of the needle was a reference to a small gate in the city of Jerusalem that it was a smaller gate than the normal gate that humans would walk through it may have been for animals or whatever but that is not what Jesus is talking about and the reason we know that is because Luke in his account uses the word for a needle that would have been a doctor's stitching sewing needle okay a doctor's needle Luke was a doctor okay so he uses the Greek word for a needle that a doctor would use to stitch you up okay so we know Jesus was talking about a literal needle a camel was the biggest animal known to a Jew in their culture a needle hole an eye of a needle would be the smallest opening you could possibly imagine I mean right ladies with that piece of thread aren't you trying to find where that that get that thing in there you know it's hard to find it's a little small I mean not that I've ever done it but I've watched Jeannie try to get that in there and squint and look and try to get that needle going do you still do it that way I mean is there some well forget it that's inside the point anyway largest animal through the smallest hole that's the point it that's how ridiculous I mean it's almost humorous that Jesus would say this the argument he uses basically is salvation is impossible for man now the reason Jesus uses this you might say hyperbole or an exact an intended exaggeration easier for the largest animal go through the smallest hole then for a rich man to be saved the reason he uses that is he's gonna make a point with the disciples and the point is this in the Old Testament wealth was seen as God's blessing upon you and that was true in the Jewish way of thinking in the Old Testament that was true in the covenant that God made with Israel in the book of Deuteronomy God said if you obey me if you're true to me then I will bless you and those blessings are material blessings I'll give you plenty of crops your animals will prosper your land will get rained when it needs it that was all under the Palestinian covenant with Israel we're not under that covenant we're not Israel we're the church and so the health and wealth people always go back to Old Testament statements in the book of Psalms which are building on the covenant God made with Israel not with us as the church to make their case for health and wealth and God did promise Israel that he would prosper them that they would be wealthy that they would have everything they needed he doesn't promise that to you and me that's not a part of the gospel that was a part of the law that was a part of God's dealing with Israel but you have to understand that in order to understand that in every Jews mind including the disciples would be ingrained this idea that if you're faithful to God obedient to God right with God then you will be blessed materially so to them a wealthy person would be the most likely person to go into the kingdom because their wealth would seem to indicate that they are blessed by God okay so you see the mindset Jesus is dealing with very different from ours so Jesus is dealing with that kind of mindset and that's the reason he's nailing this thing very hard what he's doing literally and you have to understand the juncture of where we are in God's whole scheme of redemptive history and moving from the Old Testament to the New Testament moving from God's covenant with Israel to the church and salvation in the gospel you have to understand that Jesus is creating in the minds of the disciples a huge paradigm shift a huge new world view a new way of thinking about the kingdom of God about salvation that God's blessing is no longer seen in material wealth necessarily so Jesus is making this point very strongly it's very hard for a rich man to get in the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven and the disciples are flabbergasted by that say why would they be surprised we we know that but you have to understand their mindset under the the old covenant under the Palestinian you know covenant that God made into your enemy so that's why they respond the way they do in verse 25 verses 25 and 26 Jesus is going to make the point that salvation is possible for God okay difficult for man impossible for man but it is possible with God look at verse 25 when the disciples heard this they were greatly astonished okay they're astonished greatly astonished literally the expression if it were literally translated means to strike out of one's senses that's literally the the translation of the Greek terms here to strike out of one's senses so it has the idea of a knockout blow you know they're knocked out by this the wind has taken out of them they're unconscious by this is that's how flabbergasted they are at Jesus' statement and the only way to understand that is is to understand you know the the background that they're coming from the thinking the mindset they're coming from the old covenant God's promises to Israel and that's why they ask what they do who then can be saved I mean if it's difficult for a rich man to get in the kingdom we thought the rich we thought wealth was an indication of God's favor God's blessing if it's difficult for them to get into the kingdom that is there any hope for any of the rest of us do you understand their mindset now it's very different from the way we would think because of their background and Jesus and this is this is where he's he's pulling them toward the gospel so he's pulling them toward the cross and the church and what salvation is after the cross notice in verse 26 Jesus looked at them very strong word literally means to fix your gaze on okay if you ever you ever remember your parents when they wanted to get something across to you really clearly how they got your face and they said now look at me and they were looking intently at you and they're communicating something they don't want you to miss I'm getting a lot of blank stairs you remember that kind of thing of your parents you remember doing that with your kids it's exactly what Jesus does here he's fixing his gaze on them I think he's squared he's shoulders I think he leaned forward a little bit and he said I don't want you to miss this come on now you got to get this we're making a huge shift in your thinking here you got to understand this verse 26 with man this is impossible but with God all things are possible it is impossible for man to obtain his own salvation but it is possible with God why because salvation is God's work not man's work and and he's trying to impress upon the disciples here you have to understand that salvation is not by human effort and the good things that people do and the outward trappings of wealth and positions of words is not necessarily a sign of God's favor salvation being accepted by God being right with God is totally God's work it is something God does what's impossible with man is possible with God so why it may be not impossible for a rich man to be saved or at least more difficult and Jesus uses the exaggeration to make his point about what salvation is while that is true it is possible for God to soften anyone's heart including a rich person's heart and bring them to himself God's work salvation is God's work it's possible with God okay so Jesus has talked about the prerequisite of salvation you got to realize you're not good enough to get into heaven you can't keep God's law that was the prerequisite your center now he talks about the difficulty of salvation you've got to understand you can't save yourself but what is impossible with man is possible with God God can save you it's God's work okay any commoner question about that the difficulty of salvation okay the third thing Jesus does in this lesson about salvation is talk about the rewards of salvation the rewards of salvation now I'm not saying that salvation is a reward salvation is not a reward for something you do I mean Jesus has just talked about that not of man it's of God salvation is not a reward but there are rewards for those who follow Christ those who become Christ followers and live for him there are there are things to look forward to our rewards notice how this subject even comes up verse 27 Peter Peter answered him we have left everything to follow you what then will there be for us and Jesus is going to answer them in verses 28 and 29 basically let me summarize it this way commitment to Christ will be rewarded that's what he's going to say commitment to Christ will be rewarded but let's let's go back to Peter's question Peter says we've left everything to follow you what do you think is in Peter's mind here what's he thinking about okay he doesn't have any money like the rich young ruler don't you think he's probably I mean since this has just happened he's comparing the disciples to this rich young ruler who turned away from Christ because of his money because of his possessions and Peter's now thinking well Lord we we followed you we don't have anything didn't keep us from coming to you we've left everything to follow you but then the question what then will there be for us there's a bit of a mercenary tone to that there's a bit of a tone of okay we understand that maybe wealth is not necessarily a sign of your blessing now where we're starting to get that we understand that that may keep someone away from you but Lord we've given up everything to follow you now what's going to happen with us is there anything for us now Jesus has a very interesting answer to this question twofold answer the first part of it is as I've already indicated that commitment to Christ will be rewarded he's gonna assure them commit yourself to Christ you will be rewarded for that he talks about how the disciples will be rewarded first and then he talks about any any Christ follower how they'll be rewarded verse 20 28 Jesus said to them truly I tell you at the renewal of all things when the Son of man sits on his glorious throne when do you think that is Millennium okay any other ideas good because that's the right one you're talking about Christ kingdom on the earth in the renewal of all things this is one of those verses it talks about the fact that the Millennium will will mean a renewal of everything creation of everything on earth it will be a regeneration of the earth itself and so when that happens he says and I'm sitting on my glorious throne you who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel so Jesus says you will be rewarded you're gonna get a throne someday to rule from over the tribes of Israel this is for the 12 disciples okay so they will be rewarded any comments or questions there that's the question I was waiting for what about Judas I knew somebody to be thinking that do you think in that too I will fall maybe the other one and that's that's one of the hotly debated topics maybe is a good way to put it who is the 12th apostle that will be on this throne and will have his name on one of the foundation levels of the the New Jerusalem in the book of Revelation because that'll be the 12 apostles also who is it I have no clue I really don't know now there would be some who say it's got to be Paul it's got to be Paul well I might be Paul does call himself an apostle born out of do season kind of out of sync and time wise with the others and there are many who believe that that means Paul is the 12th apostle you know the disciples did choose one to take Judas's place and they did that after prayer in Acts 1 after sensing the leading of the Lord after casting lots and asking God to direct them through that which he had promised to do and so you know maybe Matthias is the third is the 12th I don't know we'll have to wait and see okay just hang on to that question we'll wait and see some time but there will be the 12 apostles over the 12 tribes but then he broadens that statement about rewards to any Christ follower verse 29 and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life that passage can be misunderstood so I want to make sure we understand what he's talking about here what do you think Jesus is saying when he says this help me out here okay what they what they will get in the future is not even worthy to be compared with what they have now so whatever you give up it doesn't compare right okay I think that's part of it but there's there's even more it's it's kind of hidden in our text here one of the other gospels I think maybe it's marks in his account of this says we'll receive a hundred times more both here and in eternity what do you think God is promising to those who give up and notice the things that people sometimes do give up for the cause of Christ houses family fields that's possessions jobs there are times when people either by their own choice or outside their own hands you read about what's going on on other parts of the world with persecution of believers even what we heard Sunday about Gassan Thomas you know there are there are believers in this world who are giving up everything to follow Christ and what Jesus is saying is that there is God will will give you a hundredfold and it's not it's not do the math it's not multiply what you had by a hundred no boy that's what I get you know it's not that that's an expression of God will abundantly reward you will you will not miss what you had okay and there are testimony after there's testimony after testimony of that being true that we can never sacrifice what God will not abundantly replenish and not necessarily in equal terms I give up a field God gives me two fields oh boy that's not necessarily that but God gives you everything you need you don't miss the two fields same thing with family and whatever whatever it may be God blesses in ways that cause you to understand what the really important things are it was Hudson Taylor that made this statement I have never succeeded in making a sacrifice for God now if you read his life he made some incredible sacrifices I mean he went to the mission field in the time when to go to the mission field like he did in China meant to say goodbye to your family and friends and probably never go back there were no furloughs in that time for most missionaries when they went they were saying goodbye to everything and they were going to live in a new land the rest of their lives they were going to die there he made a lot of sacrifices but he made this statement I have never succeeded in making a sacrifice for God every time I gave up something I found so much blessing that I found myself better off rather than worse you mean with more money more like no no no no that's not the point the point is whatever you give up for Christ he replenishes with so much you give up family he gives you church family you give up maybe relationship with ability to have contact with parents or grandparents God replenishes that God gives you people in your life that will meet those needs God God takes care of you God blesses you even with a sense of his presence maybe a recalibration of your life to where you understand you know what I gave up wasn't important anyway there are spiritual riches that are much more important than that and that's what people like Hudson Taylor found out so that's what Jesus is talking about here there are rewards for those who follow Christ some of those rewards will come in heaven I mean you know Jesus says it'll give you more here and then the kicker is you get eternal life too not you don't get eternal life because you've given up stuff don't misunderstand what Jesus is saying you get eternal life because you chose to follow Christ but when you sacrifice God meets needs in other ways and then just think you got heaven to look forward to also you you got eternal life also and nothing could be better than that nothing you could give up would would be worth that now that's what he's saying okay any question comment there commitment to Christ will be rewarded but then there is this caution that Jesus issues at the end of the chapter verse 30 but and I think probably looking square at Peter when he says this but many who are first will be last and many who are last will be first what Jesus is saying there is be careful about a selfish attitude be careful about a selfish attitude as always Jesus teaching turns what our culture teaches on its ear turns everything upside down everything is opposite of what this world teaches what Jesus is saying is there are many who are first in the eyes of the world who are last in the eyes of God you think maybe he was thinking about the rich young ruler the man who would have been the best the highest the the first in many people's estimation in God's eyes is spiritually impoverished without eternal life because he would not come to Christ but there's more than that is that I think there's also couched here a warning to Peter Peter be careful now you've asked the question the Lord we gave up everything now what's in it for us what do we get out of this and I think the Lord is saying oh wait a second Peter be careful not to think that sacrifice puts you on a higher level than anyone else you see what's happening there you've got a new order of who's first who's first who's best who's the most spiritual the people who sacrifice the most maybe not it's possible to sacrifice and to give up a lot and let everybody know about it and be very proud of it and you think maybe God is looking more at the heart and if we have a new category of first best most spiritual because of all you've sacrificed maybe some of those people are going to end up being last so I think I think Jesus is saying okay Peter you will get rewarded you okay don't worry about that but be careful be careful about your attitude be careful about selfishness creeping in and thinking because I've given up everything I'm going to get more okay you start developing that kind of attitude and you're going to find yourself last again okay so I think there's a very subtle warning here for Peter and the reason why I think that is so true is that Jesus has that in mind is because he jumps right into a parable now before we jump into it I want to pause long enough to give you opportunity to ask any questions or make any comments you want about this interaction with first of all the rich man and then with Peter but Jesus parable is designed he I think he just kept right on talking and so the parable is designed to support what he's just said about be careful Peter about your attitude selfishness creeping in any commoner question though yes sir yes it is and that will be richly rewarded by Christ because that kind of sacrifice comes out of a pure heart yeah that kind of sacrifice that you're talking about Dan is just is that's coming out of a heart of love for Christ and that's what God looks at what's the motivation for this sacrifice is it so that I can look good to other people or is it because I really love Jesus and if you really love Jesus then ah that's what he rewards that kind of sacrifice yes yes and if that's truly a person's heart that Jesus is more important to me than anything I have then the sacrifice really is not by that person considered to be a sacrifice because you've got the most important wealth at all that's good point all right let's let's jump into this parable that Jesus gives if if the encounter with the rich young ruler is one of the most puzzling of Jesus encounters with someone because it is so misinterpreted sometimes what he says about you know just keep the law and you'll inherit eternal life you know that's misinterpreted by a lot of people I hope we have that clear in our thinking now but if that's one of the most puzzling encounters this is one of the most puzzling stories that Jesus ever told it's going to fly in the face of everyone here tonight in your sense of justice your sense of equality and what I'm going to call fairness it's going to turn that upside down but I want to tell you because we're not going to have time to get into it in any depth I'm going to tell you what it's going to do is it's going to show us how God works in grace and how little we really understand about grace how much our minds are conditioned to think about fairness rather than grace that's the point of this parable but it's follow up to Peter's statement Lord when I'm going to get out of this and Jesus is warning him up Peter wait a second don't create a new category of I'm first I'm best I'm the most spiritual because I've given up the most people who consider themselves to be first going in that blast in God's estimation and he's going to show us that in a parable let's start into the story at least it's often called the parable the the workers in the vineyard or I like to think of it as a parable about paychecks that's really what what he's talking about here but look at the beginning of it we're just going to kind of read through the story and we won't get tonight to the lessons from the story but at least we'll get started on the story he says in chapter 20 for the kingdom four four starts out with four which is a connecting word shows he's continuing his thought from verse 30 okay he probably hasn't even paused this is one of those indications where chapter division is misleading it's easy to think this was two weeks later about two seconds later is more like it for the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard usually how this would work in ancient Israel is people who wanted to work for someone who would hire themselves out look you know to work for someone would be called day laborers and they would gather in the town square in the gate of the city or in the most visible place in the city and people who were needing workers landowners who needed people to help work the fields would come in and recruit these people and pay them by the day okay that's the scene here and to begin early in the morning typically in Israel the work day began at six o'clock in the morning so you'd go out to work in the fields at about six o'clock in the morning and you'd work till about six o'clock in the evening that was a typical day laborers day in the fields and not as much variation in seasons as we have here Israel's a little closer to the equator and thus not as much a difference in the time of you know getting dark early in that kind of thing okay so we've got this scenario of him going in to the town to recruit workers he's going to pay them by the day now look at verse two he agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard now what impression do you get when it says he agreed to pay them contract yeah both of you said it's contract when it says he agreed does that give you the impression that the terms were initiated by the people he was recruiting will come work for you if you'll pay us so he agrees right I think I think that's the impression I get that he agrees okay I'll take you up on that we'll go with your price let's sign the contract so contract is in place he's going to pay them a denarius for the day and that's not an unreasonable request a denarius was a typical days wage it was it was what a Roman soldier was paid in a day so it was a typical days wage for a laborer so nothing unusual about them saying I'll I'll go work for you and remember there are different field owners coming in so people are bargaining Steve you probably did some bargaining in the old city didn't you they still do that today don't they you you don't pay what is listed you bargain and everybody expects that it's just the way it works I remember one day when I was in issue we were going to take a several of us were going to go to Bethlehem we were going to take a taxi and my friend Steve Putney who had lived in Israel for a year kind of helped me understand the ropes of how things work and he said there going to be several taxi drivers out there you're going to go hire one of them don't pay what his price is start about to a 300 check was lower and work toward the middle and that's exactly the way businesses done over there so so these guys who are day laborers would expect to throw out a price and try to get the best they could and so they may have worked for less than a denarius for someone else but the guy who comes up they say I will go if you give us a denarius and he agrees okay give you a denarius a days wage I will agree that let's sign the contract we'll go so he sends them out to his field okay you have the picture there they're going at six o'clock in the morning verse three about nine in the morning he went out and saw other standing in the marketplace doing nothing he told them you also go and work in my vineyard and I will pay you whatever is right they'll different there isn't it there evidently is no contract there is no demand made on those who are going out at nine o'clock they're not going to be working the full day and so he says I'll pay you whatever's right evidently they trust him to do whatever is right so verse five says so they went he went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing evidently he's knitting to get these vineyards picked over this day and he's not got enough workers and so he keeps going back to get more people at different times of the day verse six about five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around he asked them why have you been standing here all day doing nothing the Greek word literally means work less it's not it's not the fact that they were necessarily lazy it's well why have you not been working today and they give him the reason no one is hired us they answered verse seven so he said to them you also go and work in my vineyard so he hires people at six o'clock in the morning he hires some at nine in the morning noon three and then he hires some people to help get this thing finished up let's get it done you know at five o'clock okay so they're going to work an hour some of them have worked 12 hours some of them work an hour in the field okay now payday comes in the evening these are day laborers they're paid at the end of every day and we'll have to wait till next week to see what happens because our time our time is up but something is going to happen which seems very unfair to us and Jesus is using this story to make a very important point that he will then address back to Peter with the same statement he made in verse 30 don't forget Peter those who are last will be first those who are first to be last okay we'll see how that works next time okay father thank you for your word and it's in decisive nature how it cuts to the core of our hearts and our souls and Lord our our our savior just so amazing in how he was able to do that with people so Lord I pray that you would help us to learn from him to learn the lessons that he sought to teach his disciples and help us to learn them as well lessons about what it means to follow you and who you are what you're like how you think so countercultural help us most of all Lord to understand better your grace and that none of us get what we deserve we all are blessed more than we deserve Lord blesses the rest of this evening through the week pray for your blessing upon each life who's here tonight meet whatever needs there may be present in hearts and lives and families we pray in Jesus name amen