 
. 
>> Worship today as we prepare 
to begin singing, studying God's
word, together praying together.
I want to share a couple of 
things, 1, thank you for praying
our previous Pastor Mike who had
open heart surgery by God's 
Grace that surgery went well.
He is now in the process of -- 
painful hard process of recovery
so please continue to pray for 
him and tore Brenda and for 
their family but praise God for 
successful surgery this week and
let's just pray that God would 
restore Lon in every way, 
physically, so that he might 
continue to glorify God through 
the ministry God's entrusted to 
him.  So thank you for praying. 
Please keep praying.  
      Second, today, you're 
going to have an opportunity to 
hear God's word through 
Britten Taylor.
He is our new Pastor Mike at MBC
Loudon and I introduced him at 
the end of the gathering but 
this is the first time he 
preached to all of our locations
in this way and I know you'll be
served well by the word through 
him but I also want to ask you, 
as he's preaching to pray for 
him, for the members, leaders at
NBC Loudon that God would be 
glorified. MBC Loudon that God  
glorified.  Through their 
ministry together and our 
ministry as a church in Loudoun 
county and that leads to one 
more thing, next Sunday I am 
planning on sharing just from my
overflow of God's word kind of a
state of where we are as a 
church and where we're going as 
a church as we're in this unique
season.  As we kick off the fall
there's so many different things
that I want to share so I hope 
you make it a priority to be in 
worship, however possible.  Each
Sunday but particularly next 
Sunday.  It's going to be an 
important time for our church 
family -- just thinking about 
who we are, where we're going, 
what God is doing in and what we
deserve to seek, God praying to 
see God do among us in the day's
ahead just kind of look forward 
to that in particular next 
Sunday.  
      With that said, let's join
our hearts now together in 
worship from wherever we are, 
let's lift our hearts, our 
voices, our minds focused on him
and let's give him glory. 
(Music.) 
>> Hey, guys, Felipe here, so 
I've been part of the MBC family
for the past 15 years.  I've 
been married 10 years and I have
3 wonderful kids and I've got 
some really good news to share 
with you guys.  During this 
pandemic, as a believer I knew 
when trials were coming that 
it's even more game time, that 
God loves us and we have such an
opportunity to impact others 
with the hope in Christ that we 
have and the supernatural power 
that lives in us.  I started 
leveraging those direct messages
from here to get on video chats 
with folks and have hour-long 
conversations with them about 
Jesus.  To their surprise I saw 
many, many people come to 
Christ, praise God which is 
amazing and I've been discipling
mechanism of throughout this -- 
many of them and one of them was
my little brother in Indian he 
gave me permission to share this
and to talk about Jesus and 
answer his question he decided 
to give his life to Christ 
months ago and I've been able to
disciples hidip * disciple him d
he's been sharing Jesus with his
parents, his sister and one 
those around him and he's asking
questions and pouring out 
everything that I teach him, 
memorizing scripture so it's 
just an amazing reminder of just
the joy joy that it is to follow
Jesus and my encouragement of 
this time as believers, always 
game time but especially in 
trials when people are hurting, 
it's our time to let God's light
shine through us so instead of 
leaning back and shrinking it's 
to lean in and it's our time to 
present hope so when people are 
presenting trials they are more 
likely to listen.  So he as we 
prayerfully God will do an 
amazing thing and all of us as 
evangelism discipleship is 
natural as scripture says Jesus 
says come with mainstream unless
the Father God with them and the
power to save.  God wants to and
can use any single one of us for
this miracle of life 
transformation and coming to 
know Jesus and growing in Him.  
      God bless you.  I pray 
that's an encouragement to you 
guys.  Please play for those who
have made the decision to follow
Jesus in God's Grace and growing
and pouring out to others and 
God bless you guys and see you 
guys soon.
(Music.)
>> What's going on, church 
family, what a blessing it is to
be in the house of the Lord, 
just one more time.  If this is 
your first time here or you're 
looking for the first time 
online, welcome to McLean.  We 
are so glad that you're here, 
worship with us.  Listen, if you
want to find more things about 
our church, you could look at 
mcleanbible.org and you can even
give mcleanbible.org/give and, 
listen we know it's a different 
time and we know a lot of you at
home are looking right now maybe
with your children from the TV 
listen, please take some 
pictures and hash tag them MBC 
together on social media.  We 
will love to see how you worship
together during this time.  Can 
you please stand to your feet to
get ready to worship the Lord 
together.  I love this song.  
This song is called graves into 
garden and it's a statement true
before time and there's nothing 
better than Jesus Christ.  I 
believe that there's nothing 
better than Jesus Christ, and as
I was thinking about this song, 
I was thinking back -- way back 
when I used to be a kid.  I 
wanted to be 3 things:  I wanted
to be an artist, a football 
player and a musician.  Now, 2 
of those things didn't work out 
but I got 1 out of 3 is not too 
bad but I remember I used to 
draw these elaborate paintings 
for my dad.  Now my dad is a 
Pastor Mike and I would draw 
these elaborate paintings and I 
would show it to my dad.  He 
would say great job, son, great 
job.  Dad, I created this.  If 
you know everything for 
Pastor Mike they're always 
looking for a way to put the 
gospel in there.  Great job but 
you aren't the only creator 
you're the one creator that can 
take nothing and create 
something and his name is 
Jesus Christ.  He can change the
beauty -- ashes into beauty, 
change the joy onto unto morning
and take the garment of praise 
for the Spirit of heaviness 
found in Isaiah 61.  I want you 
to repeat American people even 
if you're home say:  There is 
nothing better than you.  
There's nothing better than you,
Jesus.  Come on, I want you to 
say it like you mean it.  I know
you'll have to look to your kids
and say:  There's nothing better
than you Jesus.  Let's sinking 
the together.
(Music.)
(Music.) are a 
voluntary approximate with a can
about. 
. 
>> Oh, God, the heavens declare 
your glory, Lord.  The skies 
proclaim your handiwork, Lord, 
and so today we sing with all 
creation.  We sing with the 
angels and the great crowd of 
God, holy, holy, Lord almighty. 
We praise you with our singing. 
We praise you when we meditate 
on you, God.  We praise you in 
our prayer, Lord that you will 
answer, that you hear and you 
are faithful to fill your 
promises, God.  You are the most
holiest God and most murful.  
It's because of your mercy and 
it's because of your Grace that 
we be gather together, 
struggling with different 
things, struggling in sin but 
still come boldly before the 
throne for what Jesus has done 
for us.  He has made us to sing 
out.  Holy, holy, holy is the 
God almighty.  We sing it 
boldly, God.  Would that be the 
anthem of our lives, Lord or 
when we see things around us 
that are discouraging and we 
still say holy, holy, holy is 
the Lord, God almighty you are 
the sovereign ruler and creator 
of the earth God, everything is 
subject to Heller.  In your 
mercy, Lord because of your 
greatly love for which you have 
loved us, we love you.  Would 
you allow our hearts to 
penetrate you, Lord.  Bring dead
things to life today, God.  And 
make us more and more like your 
son, God.  And we pray this in 
the glory of your name, in the 
name of Jesus Christ, amen.  
      Those of us with us can 
have a seat and now we're going 
to hear from Pastor Mike thawed 
>> Boys and girls it's time to 
gather around because today we 
are going to talk about mushy 
stuff.  That's right.  Mushy 
stuff.  Now, what do I mean by 
mushy?  I mean, love.  Now 
little boys, don't run away 
because this is super important 
and I want to teach you 
something along with the little 
girls today.  You see love is 
one of the most important things
we will ever learn in our life. 
Now, when I was younger, and I 
was in the military, I would 
oftentimes be in far away places
and the way that I would hear 
from home is through letters.  
Now, we didn't have the 
internet; we didn't have email 
and we certainly didn't have 
FaceTime and all these other 
cool ways to communicate today, 
but we did have letters, and 
oftentimes these letters would 
be delivered by hell copters and
they land and they would have 
these big bags of mail that they
would hand out and we would all 
be super excited to get a letter
from home; especially, someone 
who loved us.  And, of course, I
would always try to find a 
private place to open the letter
from my wife and when I would 
read these letters my heart 
would sore one those first two 
words.  She would write:  Dear 
thawed and as I was look at 
those words, I would wonder, 
what does she mean when she 
says:  Dear Todd?  And it made 
my heart so happy to read it.  
      Now, the rest of the 
letter was private and personal 
and it certainly would not make 
sense for anybody reading it 
because they were not in the 
relationship the same way I was 
with my wife and I was thinking 
about relationships and love 
letters, I was thinking of the 
greatest love letter written of 
all time.  And I want you to 
guess what it is.  Do you know 
what the greatest love letter 
written of all time is?  That's 
right, the Bible, and 
specifically in the Bible 
there's one verse that stands 
out to me that tells us about 
this great love, and it's found 
in John 3 Verse 16 and I know a 
lot of you have it memorized and
I love to read the word to you. 
Open your bibles and remember 
that this is the word of God.  
For God so loved the world that 
he gave his only son.  That 
whoever believes in Him should 
not perish but have eternal 
life.  None of this love letter 
specifically John:16 will not 
makes sense to anyone who's not 
in a relationship in God but 
those who -- those who put their
faith and love in eternal life 
this means love.  When I was in 
Africa, I was able to lead a 
young man to Christ in the 
streets of Ethiopia and I had a 
Bible in his language and I 
opened it up, and the very first
verse that I showed him was John
3:16, and when he read it, do 
you know what he did?  His eyes 
got all watery and he began to 
cry and he pointed at himself, 
and basically through the 
translator he said:  Do you mean
God loves me?  And I had the joy
joy of telling him, God loves 
you.  
      Now, boys and girls, this 
makes me want to ask you a 
question today:  Do you have a 
relationship with God?  Do you 
know how much he loves you?  
Because if you don't, you can 
have that relationship today.  
You can come to him and say:  
God, I want to know you as my 
heavenly Father.  I want to turn
from my sin and I want to place 
my faith and trust in you, and 
do you know what will happen 
boys and girls, God will honor 
those words and he will meet you
right where you're at and you'll
be in a relationship with him 
that will last forever.  He will
love you forever.  And then when
you open up the Bible, it will 
mean everything to you because 
this love letter will then make 
more sense.  And then instead of
reading for:  God so loved the 
world that God gave his only 
son, you can put your name in 
there.  It means Todd believes 
and I have that relationship and
every boy and girl can place 
their trust in God and this love
letter will make sense to them 
for the rest of their lives.  
And I will tell you that this 
love relationship with God, it 
only gets severity as time goes 
on, and it gets deeper and more 
meaningful, and so that is my 
hope from the bottom of my 
heart.  That every one of you 
would place your faith and trust
in God and that you would enjoy 
this love letter for every day 
that he gives you to live.  
      So until next time, 
bye-bye.
(Music.)
>> Our good news stories for the
summer are winding down and we 
wanted to end with some stories 
of how God has been working in 
people to bring them to a saving
knowledge of himself and we're 
all called to share the gospel 
but oftentimes we don't know the
right things to say, but the 
good news is, this team has been
trained to do that and that we 
can all kind of effectively 
learn how to do that as well and
so they're going to share with 
us how they have done that over 
the summer and how their 
evangelism team who have been 
diligently trained have shared 
new faith during the pandemic.
>> I remember the quarantine had
just started I didn't want to 
wait to see people to tell them 
what I learned and I prayed and 
I started making phone calls.
>> A while ago we received a 
text from a young lady.
>> We were able to share the 
gospel be the Zoom conferences.
>> And I was able to share with 
a colleague of mine.
>> We were able to give a full, 
clear presentation to a precious
family of 4 all the way out in 
Bangladesh.
>> And she wanted to know more 
about God first.
>> When we met the first thing I
asked -- I said to him:  Thank 
you so much for agreeing to meet
with me to talk about Jesus.
>> She was not quite sure what 
believing means?
>> Even though he had some 
church experience, he really 
didn't have the assurance of 
heaven.
>> In our Lord's perfect wisdom,
he gave my team just a sheer 
time to give a clear gospel 
presentation and just a clear 
chance to answer all the 
questions that were asked.
>> I began to explain that 
heaven was a free gift and that 
we couldn't earn it or deserve 
it and I went on that a man is a
sinner he cannot save himself.
>> That means traveling your 
trust of yourself to God alone.
>> And he solved the problem 
with the death restaurant 
election of jets that saved a 
place for us in heaven.
>> One actually accepted Christ 
as his Lord and Savior.
>> 3 months later, 9 people had 
come in to a relationship with 
Christ including my own 
daughter, and she prayed with me
with her assurance of salvation.
>> So he got the good news; 
accepted the Lord that day.
>> And our team had the great 
privilege to see this, the shear
miraculousness of the 
overwhelming work with Jesus to 
trust Jesus as his Savior and 
the holiness of the Holy Spirit 
gives with having eternal life.
>> So now I'm using video 
conferencing to disciple them 
and believe me I'm seeing God's 
work in their lives.
>> He said everything is 
different now.
>> So we never know how God 
sends his plan to reach out 
one's soul in his time.
>> I don't look at this at this 
pandemic social distance 
obstacle but to reach out to 
people who need and want want to
hear good news.
>> I love even how COVID can't 
stop evangelism.
(Music.)
(Music.) A. 
>> PASTOR:  Well, good morning, 
everyone.  It's good to see some
of you here gathered at our 
Tyson's location.  
      I also personally want to 
welcome for those of you who 
have joined for this worship 
gathering.  Pastor Mike Dave 
introduced me.  A few weeks ago 
he introduced me on the stage 
and a few months ago I was able 
to preach but for those who were
not able to be at those 
gatherings.  I want to introduce
myself and my family.  I'm 
Britten Taylor.  I've been 
married to my wife, Brooke 
Taylor for 17 years and we have 
5 boys ages 15 down to 6.  I 
hear some gasps in the crowd, 5 
boys from 15 down to 6 and 
they're 100% boys.  Every single
one of them.  In fact, two of 
them this week were racing down 
the hill on their skateboard and
our youngest son was kind of 
falling behind in the race so he
kind of started digging in.  He 
just needed to catch up to his 
older brother and he hit a rock 
in the pavement and the 
skateboard came to a complete 
stop and he continued to go 
forward.  We don't have video 
evidence of what happened but 
there's no scrapes on his hands,
elbows, shoulders, hips -- no 
scrapes, just the side of his 
face, so we're pretty sure he 
just did straight nosedive into 
the pavement.  And you 
might-sitting there thinking -- 
might be sitting there going 
that's crazy for your family.  
No that's our household, that's 
par for the course.  Two of mif 
greatest joys is to be a husband
to my wife Brooke Taylor and my 
5 boys.  I've served in ministry
for 15 years and he served in 
Alabama and North Carolina, and 
our family served 5 years 
overseas in the Middle East 
seeking to make disciples and 
established churches among 
unreached peoples so we're 
excited to be a part of what God
is doing here at McLean.  What 
he's doing through McLean.  And 
before we dive into the word 
today, I do want to let you know
that starting today we are 
jumping into a new Bible reading
plan.  We finished up the 
gospels on Friday, and on the 
screen you should see a link to 
download through that Bible plan
and we'll start with ecoecoall 
the way through the Old 
Testament.  It will end in 
Christmas and make sure you 
download that Bible plan and 
jump on board with us.  
      Today I am humbled to 
preach God's word from Marc 
chapter 10.  We finished up 
Philippians last week, today I'm
going to preach Mark chapter 10 
and as we parachute down into 
the middle of the this gospel, I
want to kind of catch us up to 
speed as to where we are in the 
story.  Mark has laid out in 9.5
chapters Jesus' words and his 
actions and people have been 
blown away.  I mean, they are 
wondering who is this Jesus?  At
one point he claims to forgive 
sins and then heals a man of 
paralysis and Mark says that all
that were there were amazed and 
glorified God saying we've never
seen anything like this.  
      So for 9.5 chapters, it's 
just showing the works and the 
words of Jesus and that's been 
the response we've never seen 
anything like this, and Mark has
shown that this is a 
continuation from the Old 
Testament Mark 1:15 he records 
Jesus time is fulfilled.  The 
kingdom of heaven is repept in 
the gospel.  Mark is showing 
through Jesus God is restoring 
his
his reign through this world and
he's inviting people to live 
under his reign and his rule by 
following Jesus.  For 9.5 
chapters some people have 
followed.  Some people didn't 
know what to think and others 
just out right rejected 
specifically those religious 
elites.  
      And beginning in Mark 8, 
Jesus begins to tell his 
disciples of his impending death
and resurrection.  His impending
death and resurrection and then 
he restates it again in Mark 9 
saying the son of man is going 
to be delivered into the hands 
of men and they will kill him 
and when he's killed after 3 
days he will rise again.  
      Now, the first time he 
mentioned this, Peter rebukes 
him, and that didn't go well for
Peter so the second time the 
disciples -- it says that they 
didn't understand what he was 
saying but they were afraid to 
ask him.  Then in Mark 10 for 
the third time, Jesus tells of 
his coming death and reds 
recollection, and that's where 
we're going to pick up this 
story in Verse 32.  I'm going to
read through Verse 35.  
      And they were on the road 
going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus
was walking ahead of them and 
they were amazed and those who 
followed were afraid.  In taking
the 12 again, he began to tell 
them what was to happen to him, 
saying, seeks we're going to up 
to Jerusalem, and the son of man
will be delivered over to the 
chief priest and the scribes and
they will condemn him to death 
and deliver him over to the 
gentile
gentiles.  They will mock him 
and spit on him and flog him and
kill him and after 3 days he 
will rise.  
      In James and John thezon 
of 
Zobdi, he said teacher, we want 
done whatever I ask of you and 
he said what do you want us to 
do.  Grant us to have one sit at
your right-hand and one at your 
left in your glory, and Jesus 
said to them:  You don't know 
what you're asking.  Are you 
able to drink the cup that I 
drink or to be baptized with the
baptism for which I'm baptized? 
And they said:  We're able, and 
Jesus said to them:  The cup 
that I drink, you will drink and
the baptism for which I'm 
baptized, you will be baptized 
but to sit on my right-hand or 
my left is not mine to grant but
it is for those for whom it has 
been prepared.  
      And when the 10 heard it, 
they began to be indiggant of 
James and John and Jesus called 
to them and said to them:  You 
know that those who are 
considered those of the gentiles
Lord over them and narrow great 
ones exercise authority over 
them but it shall be not be so 
among you.  But whoever would be
great among you must be your 
servant, and whoever would be 
first among you, must be a slave
of all.  For even the son of man
came not to be served but to 
serve and to give his life a 
ransom for many.  
      In a daySon came 
not to be served but to serve 
and to give his life a ransom 
for many.  
      In a day when there's so 
much division and fighting and 
jocking for position and for 
those of us who are feeling 
disoriented and weary, I believe
that this critically important 
for the Word of God to be a 
mirror for us today.  That today
the Word of God would be a 
mirror of us and show us for 
those of us who are called to 
follow Jesus, what that looks 
like.  What does it mean to be 
his apprentices?  And I have 3 
important questions that I think
we need to consider today.  
      And just a little FYI, the
first one is going to take some 
time to build up and the second 
and third one will go much 
quicker so don't get a little 
antsy when you see the pace that
we're setting on that first one.
      Before we dive into this, 
would you pray with me.  
Heavenly Father, we come before 
you and we plead for your mercy 
and your Grace in this moment.  
God, would this not just be 
another religious service?  
Would this not just be a part of
our routine religion?  Would you
in this moment, God, speak to 
us?  Of would you reveal to us, 
Lord, who the Son of man isof m 
is.  God, you know in this 
moment this is intimidating for 
me.  Even as a man who struggles
with the fear of man, I turn 
from that even now.  For those 
who have gathered together and 
when the new preacher stands up 
or tended to measure him and to 
see whether or not he is 
capable, God, would we turn from
that and would we allow your 
word, Lord, to look at us and 
the mirror would reveal to us, 
Lord, in our own hearts and our 
own lives whether or not we are 
disciples of Jesus?  Or 
disciples of this word world?  
Our confidence is in you, Lord 
Jesus, and it's in your 
matchless name we pray, amen.  
      It was February 2003, I 
had know Brooke Sisson for a 
little over 2 years.  I'd seen 
how she loved God with all of 
her heart.  I'd seen how she 
loved others.  I had observed 
how she sacrificially cared for 
those who are in need.  She was 
kind and tender hearted towards 
all, and our friendship 
developed into a dating 
relationship, and after seeking 
some wise counsel, I had 
discerned that God was leading 
me to ask her for her hand in 
marriage.  So one Friday night 
we were going to meet at my 
place and we were going to go 
after dinner at a restaurant and
little did she know I had lined 
a path through the doorway to 
the entryway of my apartment 
living room and I lined it with 
candles and rose petals and at 
the end of the pathway was a 
chair.  
      And I remember she knocked
on the door that night and I 
opened up the door and when she 
saw the roses and candles she 
started to cry.  She knew what 
was about to happen, and I'm man
enough to say I started to cry 
as well and I took her hand down
that pathway and I sat her in 
the chair and I got down on my 
knees and I opened up God's word
and I read to her Mark 10:45.  
For the Son of man didn't come 
to be served but to serve and to
give his life as a ransom for 
many.  
      I explained to her on that
night that this was the example 
that Jesus gave us.  He 
perfectly modeled it.  He did 
for me and he did for her what 
no one else could and that was 
going to be the basis of how I 
wanted to serve her the rest of 
our lives.  At that point in 
time, I reached down and I 
pulled out a diamond ring, and I
asked her to marry me, and from 
that day to this day and by 
God's Grace, every day moving 
forward that has been my aim.  
That I would serve her as Christ
has served me and given his life
as a ransom.  
      You know, what Jesus 
communicates in Mark 10 is one 
of the most spectacular truths 
from God as to what Jesus came 
to accomplish, and at the same 
time, it's stunning marching 
orders for those who would 
follow Jesus.  Not just for 
husbands but for wives and not 
just for married people but for 
singles, and not just for 
adults, but for children, for 
young and old, students, 
business professionals, 
retirezezez -- retirees and for 
etch and every life Jesus has 
modeled a life and ministry that
drastically dish from this 
world.  His instructions, His 
examples stand in stark contrast
to the status quo of this world.
And what is shocking in this 
passage that has disciples have 
walked him, have observed and 
listened to him and they wrongly
assumed that Jesus' kingdom is 
more of the same.  
      And based on casual 
observation of our Christian 
culture, it seems that many 
today have wrongly assumed that 
Jesus' kingdom is more same.  
Being concerned about where 
we're going to sit, being 
concerned with what people are 
going to call us.  Motivated by 
personal gain and status, these 
disciples approach Jesus and 
said:  You're here for me; 
right?  Like, you're here to 
promote my agenda; right?  
      And even on the heels of 
Jesus communicating, he's about 
to be tortured to death.  They 
were more concerned about 
themselves and their personal 
gain.  They understood 
discipleship to Jesus as a means
to a selfish end.  
      You know, the gospel of 
Matthew retells the story and it
even puts in the -- the 
information that they involve 
their mother into this plot.  
Now, listen, when you get mama 
involved in it, like you're 
doing some dirty work, okay?  
You are working all sorts of 
selfish angels.  
      They say grant us to sit 
one at your right-hand and one 
at your left in your glory, and 
before we start piling on James 
and John, I remind you what John
Scott says.  He says the church 
is full of Jameses and Johns.  
Go-getters and status-seekers.  
Hungry for honey and prestige.  
Measuring life by achievements 
and everlasting dreaming of 
success, and Jesus looks at him 
and says:  You don't know what 
you're asking.  Can you drink 
this cup?  Can you be baptized 
with the baptism I'm about to 
endure speaking about his 
suffering and the reply was:  We
are able.  
      And Jesus says:  Well, 
you'll drink of that cup.  
You'll be baptized by -- but who
sits on my right-hand and my 
left hand is for those whom it 
has been prepared.  At this 
point in time, the other 10 
disciples smell what James and 
John are cooking and they're not
in favor of it, and so Jesus 
calls all of them to himself and
in his response he turns 
conventional wisdom on its head.
He introduces a whole new 
paradigm of thinking and living 
because, you see, through Jesus 
God is restoring his rule and 
reign over this world.  And he's
doing so by confronting the 
world that is in option to him 
and -- opposition to him and 
allowing people to live and 
follow his reign by following 
Jesus, and Jesus called them, to
him and said:  You know those 
who considered the leaders of 
the gentiles Lorded over them 
and their great ones exercise 
authority over them but it that 
should not be among you.  
Whoever would be great among you
must be your servant.  Whoever 
would be first among you must be
a slave of all.  For even the 
Son of man came not to be served
but to serve and to give his 
life as a ransom. .  
      In this passage Jesus 
confronts his disciples with the
reality of what it will look 
like to follow after him.  What 
will it look like to be his 
apprentice?  What does it mean 
to be a disciple of Jesus?  And 
although so much has changed 
over 2,000 years since Jesus 
into these words, one thing that
hasn't is that human beings 
today are as human beings were 
back then.  Motivated by 
personal gain, pursuing after 
prestige and power, orienting 
our lives around what works for 
me, and chasing after ease and 
comfort and Jesus says:  If you 
follow me, it shall not be so 
among you.  It shall not be so 
among you.  
      Notice in Verse 33, that 
Jesus refers to himself as the 
Son of man.  And then again in 
Verse 45 refers to him as the 
Son of man.  Now, this was a 
self-proclaimed title, a title 
that communicates that 
Jesus Christ is human but even 
more.  By saying that he's the 
Son of man, he was communicating
that he's the matchless 
representation of the human 
race.  He's not just a human 
being, he's the human being.  So
if we want to see how badlioff 
track we are, we want -- 
offtrack we are and broke down 
as we are put it against the Son
of man Jesus of naz reth.  
      The second phrase he uses 
in Verse 45.  Son of man came 
not to serve but to be served.  
What he's saying the Son of man,
the man who lived the truest 
human life waited upon others, 
rather than seeking of ways for 
people to wait upon him.  
      And the ultimate 
expression of this when we went 
on to say that he's going to 
give his life as a ransom for 
many.  
      Ladies, this is our 
ultimate example.
He is the one we are to emulate.
In fact, all of life should be 
modeled after the Son of man who
came not to be served but to 
serve.  Yes, how I love and lead
and serve my wife should be 
modeled after Jesus the Son of 
man but every other area of my 
life as well, he is our pattern.
He is our standard.  We should 
look to him and be apprenticed 
by him in every area of life.  
That is to gradually learn to be
more like him by being with him.
To being as close as the branch 
is to the vine so we should go 
to him and ask him continually: 
Son of man, how did you live?  
What was your example?  How did 
you serve?  How did you model 
this life and we should emulate 
that.  
      Last winter, my older boys
and I got into high school 
basketball games, and that's 
pretty extraordinary because 
I've never played -- I never 
played high school basketball.  
I've never been interested in 
high school basketball game but 
we got involved and started 
watching nationally televised 
high school basketball games and
not just any nationally 
televised high school basketball
games, we watched Sierra Canyon 
high school nationally televised
basketball games.  See 
Sierra Canyon was Lebron James's
son was Bronny James.  These 15 
to 18 years old were just 
getting, like, at least 
national, if not global 
attention.  And I remember 
watching one of those games and 
at half time they interviewed 
Bronny James, the living legend 
Lebron James, arguably the 
greatest basketball player to 
have play the basketball game 
and it was a light-hearted 
interview.  You could really 
just see the pride of Lebron 
James and being his dad and the 
interviewer snuck in one 
question:  Lebron, does your son
ever come to you for the 
insights of basketball and 
Lebron James started laughing:  
And he said, no, he really 
doesn't really ask me much and 
when I heard that, I almost fell
out on the floor.  Like how do 
you have Lebron James as your 
dad and not ask him how can I 
play basketball better?  Like 
shouldn't this be a daily 
conversation?  Should this not 
be the most consistent activity 
in your life.  If you want to 
improve in basketball that you 
sit your dad down and say:  Dad,
how can I play basketball 
better?  Like, how do you not 
watch film on a daily basis and 
say:  Dad how could I moved 
through better.  How can you not
have pen and paper, this is a 
calendar event if it's me, and 
hearing this, after I picked 
myself off the floor -- first 
off it made me feel a little bit
better because as a dad of a 
teenager who doesn't necessarily
come to me asking a lot of 
questions, it happened me feel a
little bit normal but secondly, 
God convicted me.  He convicted 
me because just as Bronny 
doesn't go to his dad, the 
living legend, Lebron James, and
ask how should he play 
basketball better, I too have 
failed to the Son of man to whom
I have a personal relationship 
with and ask:  How should I live
my life?  How should I lead and 
love and serve my family?  How 
should I go about these daily 
activities?  How should I 
interact with my neighbor?  How 
should I deal with people who 
are difficult?  Jesus, help me, 
Son of man, how can I do this 
and then write down notes.  This
all too often I fail to go to 
the Son of man, and every single
day we should be looking at 
Jesus the Son of man who we have
a relationship with and ask him:
How should I live?  What is your
example?  How do you model for 
us, church in Christ we have 
something infinitely better than
Lebron James as our dad.  We 
have the ultimate 1k3r*e68gs 
a -- expression of a human being
the Son of man that we can go to
continually and ask:  How should
I live?  We apprentice under 
Jesus.  We are resolved to live 
as he is and when we sit under 
him, we see quite clearly that 
in Jesus' kingdom, it's not 
about position, it's about 
submission.  We see quite 
clearly it's not about prestige,
it's about service.  
      John 13, Jesus said:  If I
then your Lord and teacher have 
washed your feet, you also ought
to wash one another's feet.  For
I've given you an example that 
you should also do just as I 
have done.  The kingdom of God 
is not about position it's about
submission.  The Ki67b8gd God is
not about prestige, it's about 
service,
service.  King of God is not 
about power be, it's about 
sacrifice. kingdom of God 
is not about prestige, it's 
about service.  King of God is 
not about power be, it's about 
sacrifice.  I'm reading a book 
about Dane Ortlan that I would 
reading called "gentle but 
lonely," and I was reading it 
and I came across this quote.  
He said:  As we take the gospel 
as a whole and consider the 
composite picture given to us as
who Jesus is, what stands out 
most strongly?  Yes, he's the 
fulfillment of the Old Testament
hopes and longings.  Yes, he is 
one who's holiness causes even 
his friends to fall down in 
fear, aware of their sinfulness.
Yes, he is a mighty teacher 
who's authority outstripped even
of the religious -- even that 
that outstrips the Ph.D.s of his
day.  Condemning this stepping 
out of on theroxy but the 
dominant note left ringing in 
our ears after reading the 
gospels, which side note we just
finished this past Friday -- 
what's the dominant note left 
ringing in our ears after 
reading the gospels?  
Dane Ortlan says the most 
elementing of the portrait is 
how the holy son of God moves 
torches, touches, heals, 
embraces and forgives those who 
least deserve it.  Yet truly 
desire it.  
      That's the -- that's the 
most vivid and arresting element
of the portrait of Jesus in the 
gospels.  He moves towards.  He 
touches.  He heals.  He 
embraces, he forgives those who 
least deserve it yet truly 
desire it.  
      A few weeks ago, I 
received an email from a members
of our church who is made aware 
of a young man who recently aged
out of the foster care system, 
and he was homeless, and the 
email had a picture attached of 
his living conditions.  I 
believe we have this picture on 
the screen.  
      It brought me to tears as 
I considered the trauma that 
this child went through that 
landed him in the foster care 
system.  And then the challenge 
of aging out of that system and 
finding himself homeless.  I was
emotional and I prayed for him, 
but Tina and Dave, members of 
the our church, saw the picture 
and they moved to action.  They 
decided not just to scroll 
through the email, but they 
decided to move to action, they 
reached out -- they got 
connected to the young man 
former's case worker and just as
the Son of man modeled to them, 
they moved toward the need, and 
within a few days, this young 
man had a safe place to stay.  
They're securing him a job as 
well as transportation.  
      I talked to Tina this week
and she said I couldn't just sit
back and not do anything.  It's 
definitely been more than they 
had imagined, but she confessed 
God has given us Grace each step
of the way as they live, as 
Jesus has called them to live.  
      Church, the world is in 
desperate need of more followers
of Jesus who are aiming for 
submission, who are moving 
towards service, who are 
sacrificing their very lives to 
display the goodness and the 
hope and the glory that is found
in the gospel of Jesus Christ.  
      Jesus said:  Whoever would
be great among you must be your 
servant.  Whoever would be first
among you must be a slave to 
all.  For even the Son of man 
came not to be served and to 
serve and to give his life as a 
ransom for many.  So let's look 
to him, every facet of our life,
every facet of the disciple's 
life should be marked by the 
example that Jesus gave us which
leads to the first question 
today:  Are you looking to Jesus
as your ultimate example?  Are 
you looking to Jesus as your 
ultimate example?  When we 
decide to follow Jesus -- when 
we resolve that we will live as 
he lived, we must continually 
look to Jesus.  Continually be 
with Jesus.  That he would 
disciple us, that he would show 
us what does it mean to living 
the truest human life.  And 
Jesus said:  You want to be 
great in the kingdom?  Become a 
servant.  Position yourself last
and be a slave to all.  Are you 
looking to Jesus as your 
ultimate example?  
      But something happens when
you come face-to-face with this 
perfect example of Jesus.  
Something happens -- Jesus 
perfectly models service and you
come face-to-face with your own 
sinfulness Jesus perfectly 
models sacrifice and -- and how 
he deeply cares for the hurting 
and the afflicted and those in 
need and then you come 
face-to-face with your own 
sinfulness, your own 
selfishness.  It's happened time
and time again in the reality 
that Jesus calls us in Mark 10, 
to live a life that is 
impossible for us to live in and
of ourselves.  We can't do it.  
It can't be done.  We've not 
measured up.  We have not lived 
as we should.  
      I committed to Brooke 
Sisson on that Friday night to 
serve her the way Jesus has 
served me and you can ask her 
right now and I have failed time
and time again.  And the amazing
truth, the good news of the 
gospel is that Jesus is not just
our ultimate example, he's our 
satisfying substitute.  Jesus 
comes and dies for sinful 
mankind, which leads to the 
second question:  Are you 
trusting in Jesus ass your 
satisfying substitute?  Are you 
trusting in Him?  Are you -- 
result of thatting to him -- 
looking at him and then seeing 
your own inadequacies and your 
own sinfulness and certainly 
you're trusting in Him.  He's 
your satisfying substitute.  He 
came to give his life as a 
ransom for many.  He lived the 
perfect life that you and I 
didn't live.  The Son of man 
lived the perfect life and at 
the end of his life he died for 
us so that we could live.  And 
our hope -- listen, brothers and
sisters, listen, our hope is not
in our ability to follow his 
example.  Our hope is in Jesus' 
ability to be the perfect 
example and then to die on the 
cross for our inability.  
      I love how this passage in
Verse 34 starts out with the 
cross.  And they will mock him, 
spit on him, flog him and kill 
him, and after 3 days he will 
rise again and then it ends with
the cross.  That he will give 
his life as a ransom for many.  
Romans 5 says that while we were
still weak at the right time, 
Christ came and died for the 
ungodly.  Christ came and died 
for the ungodly.  So for those 
of you who have yet to follow 
Jesus, please listen to me.  The
world is in opposition to God 
and God is at work restoring his
rule and his reign in this world
and he will ultimately bring 
that to pass and he is 
confronting this opposition and 
then at the same time he's 
inviting each of you to come 
under his rule and reign by 
following Jesus.  
      Will you do that?  You can
never live up to the standard we
see of Jesus, the Son of man.  
You never can be enough.  And, 
in fact, and the reality of the 
good news of the gospel is that 
Jesus was enough and in the 
greatest act of love, he laid 
his life down.  He endured the 
penalty for sins for those who 
least deserve it.  For those who
least deserve God's love and 
mercy, it is available to you.  
Will you turn from your 
selfishness and yourself -- your
religious efforts to appease the
holy God and will you trust 
Jesus, follow Jesus, live under 
the rule and reign of God?  
      For those of us who have 
followed Jesus, let me tell you 
this.  This is not a one and 
done event.  Okay.  I trusted in
Jesus, looked at him as my 
satisfying substitute and moving
on for the rest of my life.  
This should be every single day,
we're looking to Jesus.  Every 
single day we're abiding Jesus. 
We're as close to him as a 
branch is to a vine and we're 
becoming more and more aware of 
our own sinful tendencys.  So if
you're not more and more aware 
of your own tendencies 
inadequacies if you're not more 
and more aware of your own 
sinful tendencies, guess what?  
You're not looking at the most 
ultimate example.  Are you today
more aware of your own 
inadequacies because the way you
look at Jesus and you abide in 
Jesus and you relate to Jesus?  
Is this something that happens 
regularly in your life?  Weekly,
daily?  Looking to him as your 
perfect substitute.  
      You know, I've been 
following Jesus for 20 years and
the reality in my own life is I 
still too often desire position 
rather than submission.  All too
often I pursue prestige rather 
than service.  All too often I'm
aiming for power rather than 
sacrifice so I need Jesus every 
single day.  I should be looking
at the ultimate example and then
trusting in his satisfying 
substitute for my sins.  
      And although the power of 
sin has been broken, brothers 
and sisters, the presence of sin
remains and the provision of 
Jesus is that we would look to 
him; see his perfect example; 
become more aware of our own 
inadequacies and then trust in 
Him.  
      When you see Jesus, when 
you look at that perfect 
example, you'll be convicted of 
those harsh words you speak to 
your children.  When you're 
abiding in Jesus and your 
relationship is so close, you're
right there with him, he will 
convict you of those calloused 
words that you spoke about your 
brothers and sisters in Christ. 
He will convict you of 
carelessly living your life, not
concerned about those who are in
need around you.  
      And in our weakness, we 
can go to the Son of man, the 
one who is strong and he 
empowers us with reknowing 
Grace -- renewing Grace and that
leads to our final question:  
Number 1, are you looking to 
Jesus as your ultimate example? 
No. 2, are you trusting in Jesus
as your satisfying substitute.  
He gave hits life as a ransom 
for many?  And Number 3, are you
depending on Jesus for 
empowerment each and every day? 
      This is exactly what 
Pastor Mike Mike was talking 
about last week.  The gospel of 
Jesus Christ is not a gateway to
the kingdom the gospel of 
Jesus Christ is the ground in 
which we live on, which we stand
on.  And here's the paradox of 
the Christian life.  The most 
faithful followers of Jesus are 
those who are most aware of 
their own inability to live as 
Jesus lived.  Why is it that 
way?  Because these followers of
Jesus are constantly going to 
Christ in repentins and they're 
recognizing their inability and 
they're going to Christ in his 
repentance and he's enabling 
Grace enabling him to live as he
lived.  Those who are constantly
aware of their need.  They 
continually to look to Jesus and
they experience renewing Grace 
and there's a cycle here.  This 
is the growth of the Christian 
becoming more and more like 
Christ.  We step out to follow 
and his commands.  We see that 
we are unable to follow those 
commands and we repen of the 
our -- repent to sin and return 
back to Jesus and our faith and 
he urges us to step out and 
follow his commands and this 
cycle continues on and on and we
grow more like Jesus.  
      And through the years we 
should look more and more might 
be like * like -- more and more 
like Jesus, and the question has
to be asked:  Are you growing 
more like Jesus?  Is your life 
becoming more and more 
consistent with Mark 10:42-45?  
Is this the pattern of your 
life?  As your life look more 
like Jesus this year than it did
last year?  
      2 Peter 1 it says his 
divine power pertains to all 
things life and Godlinesses in 
so he hasn't left us stranded in
this journey.  He hasn't left us
stranded and say:  Well, good 
luck with that.  I gave you the 
example.  You go do likewise.  
No, he empowers us with his 
renewing Grace.  He hasn't left 
us stranded.  Are you looking to
Jesus?  -- Jesus as your 
ultimate example?  Are you 
trusting in Jesus as your 
satisfying substitute?  And are 
you depending on Jesus for 
empowerment each and every day? 
      A few months after I 
proposed to Brooke Sisson, we 
were married and there were 
times that I failed miserably to
serve her.  There was so many 
times I had to go to her and ask
for forgiveness because I served
myself rather than her.  There 
were so many times I had to go 
to God and a:  God, I failed I 
can't do this.  Could you give 
me the ability to serve Brooke 
later.  Every 10 years Brooke 
and I were living in the 
Middle East seeking to serve 
disciples and establishing 
churches amongst principles.  At
the time Mohammed was my 
language teacher.  He was tasked
to each me Arabic, not an easy 
task by the way.  And I wanted 
so bad for my new friend 
Mohammed to hear the good news 
of Jesus Christ.  I'd read 
articles, I'd taken courses, I'd
done everything -- I'd learn 
these techniques as to how to 
transition a conversation with 
the Mulsimss I did everything.  
Mohammed said Britten, before we
start class today, I have a 
question for you, how have you 
been married to Brooke for over 
10 years and you still love her?
And I was really taken back.  He
said I've never seen anything 
like this.  I've never seen 
anything like this.  He shared 
his own story, his own 
upbringing, how he saw his dad 
physically abuse his mom.  He 
said I've never seen somebody 
who's been married for this long
and they still love their wife, 
how do you do this?  And I asked
him:  What leads you to ask this
question?  And his examples 
included ways that I had served 
Brooke in front of him, that I 
never one time spoke badly of 
her.  That I always seem 
concerned about her well-being. 
      And in that moment, I 
didn't need any techniques to 
bridge any conversation to share
the gospel because what he had 
seen was a man who was committed
to following Jesus to living 
under the rule and reign of 
Jesus, and who had been 
confronted with his own 
sinfulness, his own selfishness 
which lead me constantly to go 
back to Jesus as my satisfying 
substitute and which would in 
turn provide empowerment to 
serve her and that day I was 
able to share with Mohammed that
through Jesus, God is restoring 
his rule and reign over this 
world.  That he's confronting 
this world nace opposition to 
him.  And he's inviting everyone
to live under his rule and reign
by following Jesus.  Are you 
looking to Jesus as your 
ultimate example?  Are you 
trusting in Him as your 
satisfying substitute?  You 
cannot measure up, and are you 
depending on Jesus for 
empowerment each and every day? 
      Would you pray with me:  
Heavenly Father, how Mark 10 is 
such a stark contrast to the 
ways of this world.  I admit 
even in my own life, God, east 
winds week have been times -- 
even this week I have been at 
times didn't want to serve and 
didn't want to sacrifice.  God, 
even now we are rejoicing in and
believing in and hoping in the 
finished work of Jesus.  For 
anyone who is here gathered 
together in this room or 
watching virtually who has never
turned from the sin of 
themselves and decided to live 
under the rule and reign of God 
by following Jesus, God, give 
them the Grace right now to turn
from theirselves and their sin 
and to trust in Jesus.  
      God, right now awaken 
their hearts to believe on the 
Lord Jesus.  God, for those of 
us who are followers of Christ, 
the power of sin has been broken
by the presence of sin remains. 
God, would we each day look to 
you, Jesus, as our person -- our
ultimate example.  Trust in you 
as our satisfying substitute, 
and depend on you for 
empowerment to live out the life
that you've called us to, we 
pray these things in the 
matchless name of Jesus, the Son
of man, amen.  
>> Will you please stand as we 
worship the Lord together.  
Jesus truly is the center of it 
all.
(Music.)
What a blessing we can come and 
serve.  When he comes in the 
beginning and the end he's the 
alpha and Omega.  When we put 
our hope and trust in Him, Peg 
put our trust in God who never 
fails us.  And that he will 
never, ever leave us.  So I 
encourage you as we sing the 
song Jesus at the center of it 
all that would be our prayer, 
that that would be our hope, 
that it would be not only what 
we say but also how we live, so 
rendered fully to his will and 
his purpose. 
(Music.) Can
(Music.) Can
. 
(Music.) 
>> Let's go to the Lord in 
prayer.  Dear Lord, let that be 
our heart.  That we surrender to
all your will and to your way.  
(Music.) 
>> That there's nothing better 
than you.  You are God and God 
alone so let our heart's desire.
To be servants to you above all.
To do what you have called us to
do O God.  To trust in you, to 
love you, to be willing to set 
it all aside to follow you, 
Jesus.  We love you so much.  
The words that we just heard, 
your servant O God that we just 
sang O God resonate in our 
hearts not just this moment but 
throughout the week O God.  We 
love you so much.  Praise things
in the name of Jesus Christ, 
amen.
(Music.)
>> Thank you all so much for 
being with us today, wherever 
you are, and as we end up every 
single service here at McLean, 
we're going to sing the great 
commission together found in 
Matthew 28, and Jesus said to 
them all authority in heaven and
on earth has been given to me.  
Go, therefore, and to make 
disciples of all nations, 
baptizing them in the name of 
the Father and of the son and 
have Holy Spirit, teaching them 
to observe all that I have 
commanded you and behold I'm 
with you always, even to the end
of the age, amen.  Have a 
blessed one.  
      For those who are still in
the building you could just have
a seat until you are dismissed. 
Thank you so much.  You all have
a blessed week so God be to 
honor and praise forever and 
ever.  Amen.
(Music.)
