Alliances, Power Grabs, and a Better Way

Mark 10:32-52

About the Sermon

One of the great threats to our church’s peace and mission is our individual sinful lust for power. Maybe we have some and we want more. Maybe we’re insecure about our lack of influence and we want to protect what we have or maneuver for more. Find a church or leadership conflict and you will follow its origin back to someone’s personal ambition. Often enough, the spark took flame when two bonded over their personal ambitions for influence. There will be plenty of Bible verses to make the sins look spiritual. Let the church be warned. Thankfully, there is an antidote to this common problem. That’s the message of this segment in our journey through Mark.

About the Series

Mark began his gospel with the words of the prophets, who told of a day when the Lord would come to his temple, and when he would deliver his people from sin. He also composed his gospel with a deliberate geographical movement from Galilee to Jerusalem. Why did he do that? To show us that the Lord’s path leads to his enthronement on a cross. But there is a second reason: to show us our path. The path of discipleship— the path of those who would follow Jesus—has a cross in it as well. Our fates are bound up with his. Thankfully, this path does not end with suffering, but with resurrection and life. This is a book written about discipleship for disciples like us.
Mark began his gospel with the words of the prophets, who told of a day when the Lord would come to his temple, and when he would deliver his people from sin. He also composed his gospel with a deliberate geographical movement from Galilee to Jerusalem. Why did he do that? To show us that the Lord’s path leads to his enthronement on a cross. But there is a second reason: to show us our path. The path of discipleship— the path of those who would follow Jesus—has a cross in it as well. Our fates are bound up with his. Thankfully, this path does not end with suffering, but with resurrection and life. This is a book written about discipleship for disciples like us.

Sermons in the Series