Jesus The High Road Leader: “Jesus Didn’t Keep Score”

Jesus The High Road Leader

“Jesus Didn’t Keep Score”

9/29/24

Scorekeeping is great for games, but terrible for relationships.

Peter was a pro at , thinking he was to the other disciples.

Mathew 26:33-35 (CSB) Peter told him, “Even if everyone falls away because of you, I will never fall away.” ³⁴ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” ³⁵ “Even if I have to die with you,” Peter told him, “I will never deny you,” and all the disciples said the same thing.

Matthew 26:69-75 (CSB) Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl approached him and said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean too.”

⁷⁰ But he denied it in front of everyone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” ⁷¹ When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!”

⁷² And again he denied it with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

⁷³ After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, “You really are one of them, since even your accent gives you away.”

⁷⁴ Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, “I don’t know the man!” Immediately a rooster crowed, ⁷⁵ and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Mark 16:6-7 (CSB) “Don’t be alarmed,” he told them. “You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they put him. ⁷ But go, tell his disciples and Peter…

John 21:15-17 (CSB) When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love (Phileo) you.” “Feed my lambs,” he told him. ¹⁶ A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love (agape) me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love (Phileo) you.” “Shepherd my sheep,” he told him. ¹⁷ He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love (Phileo) me?” Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love (Phileo) me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love (Phileo) you.” “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said.

Jesus changed the word in His question from to Phileo and lowered his expectations to Peter’s level.

He wanted Peter to understand that He didn’t expect him to what he was of.

Put comparison to .

John 21:18-22 (CSB) “… But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” ¹⁹ He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.” ²⁰ So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them, the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, “Lord, who is the one that’s going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?” ²² “If I want him to remain until I come,” Jesus answered, “what is that to you? As for you, follow me.”

Instead of comparing yourself to others and keeping score…

Jesus says, “Just , and .”

Tear up your .

If Peter was able to come back from failure with Jesus’ blessing and fulfill his purpose, then you can too.

1. Forgive , because everyone needs forgiveness.

God forgives the nightmares of our so we can reclaim our dreams of the .

To be like Jesus, we must share His desire to love others and forgive them because everyone needs to be forgiven.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 (CSB) Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, ⁵ is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs.

Ephesians 4:32 (CSB) And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

When you get weary of forgiving someone…

Matthew 18:22 (CSB) “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven.

1. Stop wanting to be in .

Mark 10:35-41 (CSB) James and John, the sons of Zebedee, approached him and said, “Teacher, we want you to do whatever we ask you.” ³⁶ “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them. ³⁷ They answered him, “Allow us to sit at your right and at your left in your glory.” ³⁸ Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” ³⁹ “We are able,” they told him.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink, and you will be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with. ⁴⁰ But to sit at my right or left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

⁴¹ When the ten disciples heard this, they began to be indignant with James and John.

Scorekeeping , and Jesus .

Mark 10:42-45 (CSB) Jesus called them over and said to them, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. ⁴³ But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus Math

If I want to…. I Must.

• Save my life… my life.
• Be lifted up… myself.
• Be the greatest… be a .
• Be first… be .
• Rule… .

Why does Jesus want us to live this way?

Because , not the score.

You are not a to Jesus; you matter more than that.

1. instead of expecting others to serve you.

John 13:3-9 (CSB) Jesus knew that the Father had given everything into his hands, that he had come from God, and that he was going back to God. ⁴ So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. ⁵ Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him. ⁶ He came to Simon Peter, who asked him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.” ⁸ “You will never wash my feet,” Peter said. Jesus replied, “If I don’t wash you, you have no part with me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.”

The best way to resist keeping score is to intentionally .

Put down your insecurities.

• The insecure are into titles- the secure are into .
• The insecure are position conscious- the secure are .
• The insecure want to receive value from others- the secure want to .
• The insecure keep score- the secure .

Luke 22:27 (CSB) For who is greater, the one at the table or the one serving? Isn’t it the one at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

Don’t allow the of others to cause you to keep score.

Don’t let past hurts stop you from .