Redefining Service

Redefining Service Mark 10:42-45

Redefining Service Text: Mark 10:42–45

Introduction:

· James and John have just asked for glory.

· The other ten are indignant.

· Jesus gathers them.

· He does not correct their desire for greatness. (This is huge)

· He redefines it.

This means that this passage is really not about volunteering. Instead, it is about the nature of the kingdom and the character of its King.

Big Idea: In the kingdom of God, greatness is measured not by the authority we exercise, but by the life that is given, and that pattern is grounded in the cross of Jesus.

First: The World’s Model of Greatness (10:42)

“You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.”

· “You know” – This is common knowledge.

· “Considered rulers” – This is status recognized by society.

· “Lord it over” – This is domineering authority.

· “Exercise authority” – This is top-down control.

Jesus describes power as the world understands it:

- Authority flows downward.

- Greatness is measured by control.

In the Greco-Roman world, power meant dominance. To be great was to command. To rise was to be served. This is how the Romans and Greeks measures success, leadership and greatness.

This model still shapes us.

· We measure influence by visibility.

· We measure significance by recognition.

· We measure leadership by control.

The disciples were not immune to this model and influence. Neither are we. From Genesis

onward, fallen humanity seeks to be “like God” by seizing power. Where do we see it?

· Babylon builds towers.

· Kings accumulate glory.

· Herod builds monuments.

Even in Christian ministry, we can confuse a platform with purpose. Think about those around you and then think about your own life

· Where do I measure greatness by controlling things or people around me?

· Where do I resist serving in ministries or others because it feels beneath me?

· Where has recognition become more satisfying than simple obedience to Jesus?

IMP: Worldly greatness is always comparative. Someone must be beneath you for you to feel above.

Transition: In this passage, Jesus doesn’t just critique the world’s system. He establishes a new one.

Second: The Kingdom’s Redefinition of Greatness (10:43–44)

“But it shall 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 slave of all.”

· “But it shall not be so among you” – This is a decisive break.

· “Whoever would be great” – The passion for or need for greatness is not denied.

· “Servant” (diakonos) – It is redefined as one who attends to the needs of others.

· “Slave” (doulos) – It is redefined as someone who belongs wholly to someone else.

ILL – What is the purpose of a husband? Mark 10:42-45 tells us. (This is what potential husbands learn from me in pre-marital counseling)

Jesus intensifies the definition of leadership, of greatness in the kingdom of God.

- Greatness = servanthood.

- First = the slave of all.

In the kingdom, Jesus does not abolish idea of greatness. It is inverted.

· The highest position is seen as the lowest posture.

· Authority becomes responsibility for others.

· Ambition becomes availability to others.

To be “slave of all” means:

· There is no selective service.

· There is no prestige filter.

· There is no protected class.

IMP: This is not sentimental humility. It is intentional surrender to the One who serves all.

· Philippians 2 shows this pattern embodied in Christ.

· Ephesians 4 describes leaders equipping saints.

· Romans 12 frames gifts as service, not status.

All of these passages demonstrate that kingdom authority exists for others.

· Spiritual maturity looks like choosing the lower place, not protecting your place.

· Spiritual maturity looks like taking responsibility, not seeking recognition.

· Spiritual maturity looks like moving toward need, not away from inconvenience.

· Spiritual maturity looks like carrying burdens, not calculating credit.

· Spiritual maturity looks like asking, “How can I help?” instead of “Why is this my job?”

· Spiritual maturity looks like faithfulness in small things, not visibility in big ones.

APP: Service-heartedness is not what we do after we arrive. It is how we arrive.

Transition: But this still leaves a question. Why would anyone live this way? What makes this more than moral idealism?

Jesus answers in verse 45.

Third: The Cross as the Foundation of Service (10:45)

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

· “For” – This is his explanation.

· “Son of Man” – Daniel 7 presents the figure of authority and dominion.

IMP: The Son of Man of Daniel 7 receives eternal dominion from the Ancient of Days. Yet in Mark 10, that same Son of Man gives his life.

· “Came” – Here is mission language.

· “Ransom” – This is the price paid to liberate captives.

The One with absolute authority chooses sacrificial service. This is not merely example. It is substitution.

- Jesus does not say: “Serve like I serve.”

- He says: “I came to give my life as a ransom.”

APP: The cross is not simply or only an illustration of service. It is the ground of service. Ransom means:

· We were bound.

· We could not free ourselves.

· Freedom required payment.

Christ’s service was not convenient help. It was costly redemption.

This means that true authority expresses itself through self-giving love. The throne is reached through the cross.

· Isaiah 53 – Jesus is the suffering servant.

· Romans 5 – when we were weak, Christ died for us.

· 2 Corinthians 8:9 – though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor.

We serve because we have been ransomed.

APP: If service is rooted in the cross:

· We don’t serve to earn our worth.

· We don’t serve to secure our identity.

· We don’t serve to repay our God.

We serve because we already belong to the One who served us unto death.

IMP: This means that Gospel-centered service is gratitude in motion.

Transition: So….the world says: Climb higher. Jesus says: Go lower. The world says: Secure yourself. Jesus says: Give yourself.

The world says: Be served. Jesus says: Be transformed by being served at the cross.

Conclusion: The disciples wanted seats of glory. Jesus pointed to a cup of suffering. The kingdom runs on a different logic.

· Greatness is not how many serve you.

· Greatness is how many are lifted because you gave yourself.

And the greatest One of all gave himself as a ransom for many.

So, don’t leave this text asking: “Where can I serve more?” Leave asking: “Have I been ransomed?”

· Because only the ransomed can serve without fear.

· Only the secure can kneel.

· Only the loved can give themselves away.

Why? Because service is not the path to the cross. The cross is the path to service.

Mark 10:42–45

Theme: Redefining Service

Monday — The Desire for Greatness. Read: Mark 10:35–42

Think. James and John want glory. The other ten are indignant. No one rebukes their desire for greatness. Jesus does not condemn their ambition. He redirects it. Notice that before Jesus redefines greatness, He exposes the model they have absorbed from the world around them. “You know…” He begins. They know the system. They have breathed it in. The problem is not desire. The problem is definition. The world measures greatness by authority exercised. Control. Status. Recognition. Jesus does not say greatness is wrong. He says the measurement is wrong.

Reflect: As you prepare to lead your group, ask: Where has the world’s definition of greatness quietly shaped you? Do you feel the pull toward visibility, influence, or recognition in ministry? Does indignation sometimes reveal rivalry? The disciples are not villains here. They are honest mirrors to our own lives.

Apply: Before you teach this Sunday, name one place this week where you are tempted to measure success by control or recognition. Then pray that God transforms your heart on the matter.

Pray: Lord, expose the ways I have absorbed the world’s model of greatness. Redirect my

ambition. Teach me to desire what you desire.

Tuesday — It Shall Not Be So Among You. Read: Mark 10:43–44

Think. “But it shall not be so among you.” This is not advice. It is a decisive break from the world’s mindset. Again, Jesus does not abolish greatness. He inverts it. Greatness becomes servanthood. First becomes slave of all. This is intentional surrender. Diakonos = one who meets needs (table-server). Doulos = one who belongs entirely to another. Kingdom authority exists for others.

Reflect. Leadership in the kingdom looks different. At home, it looks like washing feet. In the church, it looks like equipping others rather than controlling them. In spiritual maturity, it looks like choosing the lower place, not protecting your place. Where do you still protect your place? Where are you slow to move toward inconvenience?

Apply. Identify one concrete act of service you will take this week that costs you something small: time, convenience, or preference. Don’t announce it. Just do it. Let that simple obedience shape you.

Pray. Jesus, form in me the mind of a servant. Let my leadership be recognizable as yours.

Wednesday — The Son of Man. Read: Mark 10:45a and Daniel 7:13–14

Think. “For even the Son of Man came…” Daniel 7 shows the Son of Man receiving eternal dominion from the Ancient of Days. This is authority, kingdom and glory. And yet in Mark 10, that same Son of Man defines His mission not by the dominion he received, but by the service he has given. Authority expresses itself through self-giving love. This is the shock of the passage.

The highest One chooses the lowest place.

Reflect. If Jesus, who receives eternal dominion, serves, what does that say about our posture? Service is not beneath those with authority. It reveals true authority. As a CG leader, use your role to build others up, to elevate them and encourage their service.

Apply. Ask yourself: Who in my group needs encouragement this week? Who needs to be equipped? Who needs to be listened to? Reach out to one person intentionally before Sunday and lead by serving.

Pray. Lord Jesus, Son of Man, guard me from using leadership to secure myself. Teach me to use influence to lift others.

Thursday — Ransom. Read: Mark 10:45

Think. “To give his life as a ransom for many.” This is not merely example. It is substitution.

Ransom means we were bound. We could not free ourselves. Freedom required payment. The cross is not just an illustration of service. It is the ground of service. We do not serve to earn worth. We serve because we have been ransomed. Service flows from our security.

Reflect. If you subtly believe your service earns you standing with God, your service will eventually exhaust you. If you believe you are already ransomed, your service becomes gratitude. Where are you tempted to prove yourself through ministry?

Apply: Before you lead your CG this week, spend a few unhurried minutes thanking Jesus specifically for ransoming you. Name what He freed you from. Let gratitude precede your preparation to serve your CG this Sunday.

Pray. Thank you for serving me unto death. Anchor my service in your finished work.

Friday — Teaching from a Ransomed Heart. Read: Mark 10:42–45 (entire passage again)

Think. Read the passage slowly. Notice the flow in three steps. The worldly power. The kingdom inversion. The cross foundation. Your group may not need motivation. They need clarity. You can provide that. Service is not the path to the cross. The cross is the path to service.

Reflect. As you prepare to teach ask yourself: Are you tempted to press application before grounding people in the gospel? Are you tempted to soften the inversion Jesus demands? Let the weight of the text rest in you first.

Apply. Consider writing a summary sentence for Sunday in one line: “Greatness is measured by service, not power.” Or invert it: “Greatness is not measured by power but service.” Then ask: How does the cross make this possible? Make sure your discussion leads your CG there.

Pray. Lord, make me a leader who teaches from a ransomed heart. Form in our group a culture of servants who serve because they have been served by you.

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Let's Learn To Pray

By Reggie Weems • February 18, 2026

Let's Learn to Pray - Matthew 6:9-13 Friends, Good Monday morning to you. The sun is shining; the weather is going to get in the 60’s. Spring is in the air!!! But let’s turn our attention for a moment from what’s going on outside, to what’s going on inside…our hearts. This needs to be emphasized and re-emphasized. The difference between living like verses 2-4, as modeled by Janes and Jambres who have “a form of godliness (but deny its power) is Paul’s encouragement to “abide” in the Scripture; to “trace” the life of God that makes us “wise for salvation which is through Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3). That’s it, friends. To master the word until we are mastered by it. Because the more you know the Bible, the more you will know God, the more in love with him you will be and the more closely you will follow him with your heart, mind, soul and strength. You, the elders and I, as the spiritual leaders of Heritage must live this life, model it and teach our people to thrive in the Bible. Take the doctrine of prayer, our subject matter this Sunday. Had Jesus not taught the disciples how to pray, they would not have known how to pray. Had the Gospel writers not recorded Jesus’ words on prayer, we would not know how to pray. If we do not read, study, memorize, meditate on, and practice Jesus’ words, we are not praying. This text alone teaches us the Christian life cannot be lived separate from the Bible. It is not enough for us to hold the Bible in high esteem, to talk about it or to have innumerable copies of it in our homes, on our phones, etc. We must immerse ourselves in it. We are saved by the Word – 1 Peter 1:23 We are sanctified by the Word – John 15:3 We are told how to live in the Word – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 The Bible is literally the answer to everything for us. So, let me encourage you to be a person of the Word, to listen to God’s command to Joshua (1:8) and to sincerely follow it – This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth = The Word must not drift away from your speech or consciousness. but you shall meditate on it day and night = the word “meditate” = to prize the Bible like a lion growling over its prey, its food, its sustenance. so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it = continual meditation on and speaking God’s Word is intended to produce vigilant, comprehensive obedience to everything he has commanded. It’s the only way to “prosper” and have “success” (1:9) in the Christian life, friends. With that in mind, let’s prosper in our prayer lives. Let’s have “good success” in prayer. It begins with knowing what Jesus said about prayer and then living a life of prayer. Here’s a proposed outline for this Sunday – Let’s Learn to Pray Matthew 6:9–13 (cf. Luke 11:1) Big Idea : Jesus teaches us to pray by reshaping who we trust, what we want, and how we live. Introduction: The Request Behind the Prayer (Luke 11:1) - “Lord, teach us to pray.” The disciples had witnessed Jesus’ authority and power, and they traced it to communion with the Father. Prayer was not ornamental in Jesus’ life. It was foundational. When Jesus says, “Pray then like this,” he is not giving a script to recite mechanically, but a pattern to form disciples. IMP: We are never more the Christians our private prayer life and private Bible study reveal us to be. First: Prayer Recognizes a Father (Matthew 6:9a) - “Our Father in heaven…” Prayer is all about a relationship and relating to God. Second: Prayer Reorders Our Priorities - (Matthew 6:9b–10) Before Jesus allows us to ask for bread, he teaches us to long for glory. Third: Prayer Retrains Our Dependence (Matthew 6:11–13) As sinners, we strive for independence, but we are dependent creatures. Until we realize this and live like it, we won’t pray. Nor will we possess the life God intends us to have through prayer. Fourth: The Movement of the Whole Prayer a) Father — Identity b) Glory — Priority c) Kingdom — Mission d) Will — Surrender e) Bread — Dependence f) Forgiveness — Humility g) Protection — Watchfulness Jesus is not merely teaching words. He is forming the lives of disciples. Prayer reshapes: · Who we trust · What we want · How we live Conclusion: When the disciples said, “Teach us to pray,” they were not asking for things. They were asking about a relationship. Jesus answered not by giving them a formula to master, but by giving them a Father to trust, a kingdom to seek, and daily posture to embrace. Prayer begins in a relationship. It moves toward adoration. It ends in surrender. And the more we pray like this, the more our hearts begin to look like Heaven. Here’s this week’s TRAP devotion for you, to help the Scripture fill your mind and heart as you live prayerfully in Jesus and prepare to lead your CG to do the same. Monday - Teach Us to Pray (Luke 11:1) Think. Before Jesus gives the model prayer in Matthew 6, the disciples ask in Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray.” They had seen his miracles. They had heard his teaching. And they traced his life to communion with the Father. Prayer was not ornamental in his life; it was foundational. As such, they did not assume they knew how to pray. They asked to be taught. Prayer must be learned from Scripture. If Jesus had not taught them, they would not have known how to pray. If the Gospel writers had not recorded his words, we would not know how to pray. The Christian life cannot be lived separate from the Bible. Reflect. As a CG leader, learning to pray is a prerequisite to teaching others how to pray. How are you learning to pray? What are you learning to pray? Are you still asking to be taught? Apply. Read Matthew 6:9–13 aloud three times today. Slowly. Do not analyze it yet. Just listen. Let the words shape your thinking about prayer. Pray. Father, teach me to pray. Do not let me teach others what I am not living myself. Tuesday - Prayer Begins with a Father (Matthew 6:9a) Think. Prayer begins with relationship. Not performance. Not technique. Adoption. “Our” reminds us prayer is covenantal. We belong to a people who are being conformed to Jesus’ image. “Father” reminds us we already are reconciled and our approach to God is based on Jesus’ life and works, not ours. “In Heaven” reminds us he reigns over all our requests and should reign in our lives. Your view of God determines your prayer life. If he is distant, you will be formal. If he is harsh, you will be guarded. If he is Father, you will come. Reflect. Do you approach God as Father or as evaluator? Does your prayer life reveal intimacy and reverence? Apply. Before asking for anything today, spend five full minutes addressing God as Father. Thank him for saving you. Rehearse to him and yourself what it means to belong to him. Pray. Our Father in heaven, anchor my life and CG leadership in sonship, not performance. Wednesday - Prayer Reorders Our Priorities (Matthew 6:9b–10) Think. Glory comes before bread. God gave Israel manna in the wilderness to display his glory. God’s priorities shape how he provides for us. Can you trust him with that? In this prayer, Jesus trains our desires before he allows us to request anything. Otherwise, we are wasting our breath. To hallow his name means to treat it as weighty, the priority. To seek his kingdom means to want his reign extended, in us and the world. To pray for his will means surrender to that kingdom. Prayer is not aligning God with our agenda. It is aligning ourselves with his. Reflect. When you pray, what comes first: your crisis or his kingdom? Does your leadership in the CG reflect God-centered priorities? The difference will shape your life. Apply. Write down your current prayer requests under three headings: 1. God’s Name 2. God’s Kingdom 3. God’s Will Let Scripture reshape your prayer list. This will change your life!!! Pray. Father, reorder my loves. Make your glory weightier to me than my comfort. Thursday - Prayer Retrains Our Dependence (Matthew 6:11–13) Think. Daily dependence dismantles self-sufficiency. “Forgive us our debts.” – We all need mercy. “As we forgive…” Unforgiveness suffocates prayer. “Lead us not into temptation…” Prayer assumes our need for God. This prayer retrains the illusion that we are strong, sufficient, and secure on our own. Reflect. Where are you living independently instead of dependently? Is there someone you must forgive before you teach this Sunday? Apply. Confess one specific sin today before God. Name it. Receive forgiveness. Extend forgiveness if needed. Pray. Lord, keep me humble, dependent, and vigilant. Friday - The Word Forms the Prayer (Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 3) Think. Continual meditation on and speaking God’s Word is intended to produce vigilant, comprehensive obedience to everything he has commanded. We are: · Saved by the Word (1 Peter 1:23) · Sanctified by the Word (John 15:3) · Equipped by the Word (2 Timothy 3:16–17) If we do not read, study, memorize, meditate on, and practice Jesus’ words, we are not praying. The Bible should not be a prop. It is our life. Reflect. Are you holding the Bible in high esteem? Are you daily immersing yourself in it? Are you mastering the Word to be/and being mastered by it? Apply. Work on memorizing Matthew 6:9–13 before Sunday. Speak it aloud. Don’t let it depart from your mouth and heart. This will reshape every day of your life. Pray. Father, make me a person of the Word. Let your Word form my prayer and let prayer shape my life.