1) The document discusses Mark 10:35-45 and spiritual authority. It says true spiritual authority comes through submission to Christ and having godly character, which requires painful transformation. 2) It summarizes the key points in Mark 10:35-45, including that disciples were ambitious for power like the world, and that the primary calling is to be a servant like Christ. 3) The conclusion is that God is calling his people, including individuals, churches, and the Malaysian church, to fully obey and exercise their God-given authority as servants through sanctification and sacrificial living.

1. Spiritual Authority (6)
Mark 10:35-45
by Rev Dr Hwa Yung

2. Introduction
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There is a lot of talk today in church circles
about training leaders. The only problem is that
such an emphasis is not found in the Bible. The
emphasis rather is on training men and women
in godliness and on being servants of Christ in
the church:
E.g. 1 Tim 4:6-8
Note Stephen Neill’s wise comment (probably
made in the 1950s/60s): ‘To tell a man he is
called to be a leader is the best way of ensuring
his spiritual ruin, since in the Christian world
ambition is more deadly than any other sin…’
(Quoted in Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, 1994, p.148.)

3. Introduction
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In the preceding sermons, we had looked at this
theme in some detail:
The path to real spiritual authority comes
through submission to Christ.
The most important qualification for one called
to positions of leadership is character.
For that reason, God is determined to break and
transform us to be like Jesus; and this can be a
most painful process for us, But if we would be
changed, there is no alternative.

4. Introduction

In the preceding sermons, we had looked at this
In the last sermon we looked at the nature of
the spiritual authority which Jesus has
entrusted to us, and how each of us can and
should be exercising it in our lives and
ministries.

5. Introduction


In the preceding sermons, we had looked at this
In the last sermon we looked at the nature of
the spiritual authority which Jesus has
entrusted to us, and how each of us can and
should be exercising it in our lives and
ministries.
For this sermon we return to Mark 10:35-45
with which we began.

6. ‘The Son of Man came to be served but to
serve …’ (Mk 10:35-45)
Key points in Mk 10:35-45
 The disciples were behaving much like the
people of this world—driven by the quest of
‘money, sex and power’. So everyone was
eyeing the plum jobs in Jesus’ Cabinet!
 v. 40 reminds us that it is God who calls or
assigns to different persons their respective
positions in the work of His Kingdom.

7. ‘The Son of Man came to be served but to
serve …’ (Mk 10:35-45)
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v.42: To strive for positions is something that is
completely wrong because it is to follow the
spirit of the world where self-seeking ambition,
together with the enjoyment and corruption of
power reign!
vv.43ff: Explain. Our primary calling is to be
servants like Christ; our ultimate goal driven by
the vision of the cross!

8. ‘The Son of Man came to be served but to
serve …’ (Mk 10:35-45)
What is Jesus saying to the disciples and to us?
 The Christian life is NOT a power game wherein
ambitious leaders thrive on the domination and
exploitation of others.
 The goal, the ultimate driving force and
ambition in our life must be to follow in the
footsteps of our Lord!

9. ‘The Son of Man came to be served but to serve …’ (Mk 10:35-45)
What is Jesus saying to the disciples and to us?

But being a servant does not mean that you live
without conviction, without direction and goals in
your life, and that all you do is to get kicked around
and do whatever those in power tell you to do! Being
a servant does not mean that you live without
authority or power, or without a proper sense of
dignity in your life, always thinking that you are a
nobody and good-for-nothing! It does not mean that
you have no ambition or goal in life, being weak,
clueless and blur! Rather it means:

10. ‘The Son of Man came to be served but to serve …’ (Mk 10:35-45)
What is Jesus saying to the disciples and to us?
 Remember who is your Master and with what
dignity you have been endowed with! You
are the servant of the Most High God and
seated with Christ in at the right hand of God
(Eph 2:6). In Christ, you have been clothed
with His dignity, filled with the Spirit of God,
and made a child of God!

11. ‘The Son of Man came to be served but to serve …’ (Mk 10:35-45)
What is Jesus saying to the disciples and to us?
 This means you don’t just do anything you like
in this life; you live in obedience to God and do
whatever He calls you to do—even when you
may not be very keen at times.
 It does not mean you live without ambition in
life. Rather you give up your small ambitions
because you have been consumed by the much
bigger one of serving the King of kings and Lord
of lords! Cf. Phil 1:21.

12. ‘The Son of Man came to be served but to
serve …’ (Mk 10:35-45)
What is Jesus saying to the disciples and to us?
 At the same time, precisely because you are
God’s servant, you have authority. Cf. An
ambassador’s authority.
 You have all the powers of heaven in whatever
God sends you to do because that is Christ’s
promise! Cf. Mat 28:18; 10:7f; Rev 2:26.
 Point: it is precisely here that all of us fail,
without exception.
 We fail to obey fully, and we fail to exercise our
God given authority!

13. Servanthood and Authority
1) Servanthood implies calling and obedience
 Even when you are reluctant to obey
 Sacrifice is often involved

14. Servanthood and Authority
2) Calling is often linked with gifting
 NT teaches the doctrine of spiritual gifts
 God is sovereign in His gifting
 Know your gifts and do NOT pretend to have
what God has not given.
 Don’t just seek the more spectacular gifts. All
gifts are needed in the church.
 All of us have more than we can ever fully use in
our lives. None is without any!

15. Servanthood and Authority
3) Sanctification and spiritual maturity open the
way to fuller development of spiritual gift and
greater spiritual authority
 Sanctification involves: fasting, prayer, sacrifice,
obedience and holy living, etc.
 E.g. Elijah (hides for 3 years); Paul (withdraws to
the desert after conversion); John Sung
(sacrifice, holy living and prayer); Pak Agong in
Bakelalan (10 years of faithful pasturing and
long hours of prayer, often in the mountains).

16. Servanthood and Authority
4) Authority and gifting can be lost through sin
 Samson is the best example.
 Even if it is not lost, it will be diminished and of
little use for the Kingdom.
5) These principles applies at all levels, and not
just to those in leadership

17. Application
1) We are called to be servants par excellence and
to exercise divine authority: Are we being
faithful?
 This applies not only to those in leadership
positions but everyone.
2) To individuals: What is God saying to each of
you?
 Fear, tiredness, complacency and indifference?
 Some suffering from ‘retirement’ syndrome?
But what will we say when we meet God?

18. Application
3) To SSMC: What is God saying?
 The church has gone through much in the last
10-20 years.
 The need is for the church to get back into full
gear, to have every part functioning effectively
and in perfect coordination once again.

19. Application
4) To the whole Malaysian Church: What is God
saying?
 We are worried about GE13 and the political
situation.
 But could it be that God is more concerned for the
church, His bride?—disunited, with many
primarily interested in running their own
organizations or mega-church; self-sufficient,
because we have so rich in our middle-class
churches; everyone being more concerned about
his/her own advancement and their children,

20. Application
4) To the whole Malaysian Church: What is God
saying?
 Rather than for the future of the church; with
many leaders oozing with spiritual pride, striving
to be top dogs, and thriving on the praise of men
and success in the eyes of the world; etc.
 GE13: Awake-up call for the Malaysian church, not
for BN!
 God is calling the church to a fresh vision of what
is possible!