True Greatness

Transcript

Rob McFarlane 0:29

I'd like to share with you a message entitled True Greatness. Let's read together from Mark chapter ten, verse thirty-five through to verse forty-five. Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. Teacher, they said, We want you to do for us whatever we ask. What do you want me to do for you? Jesus asked. They replied, Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory. You don't know what you're asking, Jesus said. Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? We can, they answered. Jesus said to them, You will drink the cup I drink, and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared. When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. Jesus called them together and said, You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. We see in verse forty one there was a dispute among the disciples of who was the greatest. And this is a theme that continued through the Gospels. They were always having arguments of who was the greatest. In fact, you could look at Mark chapter 9, verse 30 through to verse 35, where as they went along the road, they argued who was the greatest, and then Jesus sat down and spoke to them. And we find that much of Jesus' teaching was in response to questions and situations that took place. And we have to understand, as we are Christian leaders, as parents, often opportunities arise for us to teach into situations where things go wrong, where there's disagreements or where there are questions. And that is exactly what Jesus does in this situation. He responds to questions, he responds to a situation that's happening, and he teaches about true greatness. He doesn't say we can't be great, but he says we need to go the right path for true greatness. Let's have a look at three things in this passage. First, we're going to see greatness desired, then we're going to see greatness defined, and finally, we're going to look at greatness demonstrated. So first, greatness desired. In verse 35 to verse 39, James and John asked for a position. They said, Teacher, we want to sit at your right and your left in your glory. You know, there's a desire among so many people to have position and status and title. We want influence. In fact, in Matthew's rendering, in Matthew chapter 20, verse 21, we see it was actually, according to Matthew, their mother who pushed them forward. She had ambition for her sons. And so often people are trying to live their unrealized dreams through their children, trying to push them forward and trying to get them into positions of influence. And whether it's a pressure that you felt growing up to move forward, or whether it's a pressure that you're putting on yourself in order to get to a particular place of prominence, I want to encourage you today to relax. Because God has determined our station. In fact, we read about it that uh in verse 40, where he said, to sit at my right hand and my left hand is not for me to decide, but my father in heaven has decided that. And we need to come to a place where we are comfortable to be what God has called us to be. I heard someone once say, if God's called you to be a preacher, don't stoop to be a king. Whatever God has called you to be, be that. If God's called you into business, be the best business person that you can be for the Lord Jesus Christ. If God's made you a mother at home, be the best mother you can. Disciple those children, cause them to become followers of our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ. Whatever God has given you to do, if you're a school teacher, teach and uh influence those children. If you're a nurse or in the medical field, uh then use your skills, talents, and abilities to serve God in that place. We need to become comfortable where God has placed us. Now we see in verse 38, we see that we can be thankful for unanswered prayer. Sometimes we desire things, but we actually don't really know what we're asking for. Let's look at verse 38. In verse 38, Jesus says this, you don't know what you're asking for. And so often we desire something, but we don't really realize that what we're asking for, we we when we get it, it's not really what we want. Look at verse 35. We want you to do for us whatever we ask. Verse 36, what do you want me to do for you? Jesus answered. Verse 38, you don't know what you're asking for. And I think sometimes we need to thank God that He doesn't answer our prayers. Some of the things I've prayed, and I look back, I say, Thank God He didn't answer that prayer. And sometimes we desire things that are not what God desires for our lives. And I think we need to come to a place in our lives where we say, Not my will, Lord, your will be done. I want to live to please you. I don't want to live to try and please others. I want to live a life that pleases you. So, first of all, we see here greatness desired. And then in response to this, Jesus teaches them what true greatness is. He defines true greatness. He contrasts the world's view of greatness with true greatness in verse 42 and verse 43. Jesus called them together and said, You know that those who are regarded as rulers or leaders of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Verse 43 he says, Not so with you. This is not the way that you should live. We need to understand we live in an upside down kingdom. Things in the kingdom of God are different to things in the world around us. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. And then he defines leadership as serving. He says, if you want to become great, be a servant. In verse 44, he continues, he says, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. Jesus defines leadership as serving. And the more that you serve, the greater your influence will be as a leader. Jesus is teaching us that the path to true greatness, the path to making an impact, to having influence in the kingdom of God, is the path of servanthood. And then finally in verse 45, Jesus demonstrates servanthood. In verse 45, he says, For even the Son of Man, referring to himself in the Gospel here, he says, For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Please turn across with me to John chapter 13. And in John chapter 13, I'd like to just show you how Jesus demonstrated his leadership through serving. Look at verse 3 to verse 5, and then we'll go across to verse 12 through to verse 17. In verse 3 it says, Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power. One version puts it this way: Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his feet, and that he had come from God and was returning to God. So he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist. After that he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. Now we see here that Jesus demonstrated his leadership through serving. And he did it when he knew that all authority in heaven and earth had been given to him. He knew that the Father had put all things under his feet. He got up and he washed his disciples' feet. Now, washing of feet was not something that Jesus has called us to do on an ongoing basis into the future. Now, there are times in a church meeting where perhaps somebody may feel prompted by the Holy Spirit that that's the appropriate thing to do as a part of our worship and serving and humbling ourselves and serving one another to wash one another's feet. But there are really only two ceremonies that Jesus commanded us to perform as the church, and those are water baptism and communion or the Lord's table. And water baptism being a one-time event, a public declaration of our faith in Jesus, and communion something that we do on an ongoing basis, on a regular basis, as a demonstration of our dependency on Christ and in celebration of what he has accomplished on the cross in appreciation for what he has done for us. But washing of feet at that time in history actually was a menial task, something that needed to be done. And usually the youngest member or the least important member of the group would wash others' feet as they came from walking on the dusty paths around that area of the world and they came into a home, they would wash their feet so they could sit down and relax and have fellowship with one another. And when Jesus knew that he had all authority, he went out and washed his disciples' feet. It's like saying he took out the trash, he did the menial task, he washed the dishes, he stacked away the chairs. And God wants his leaders to be those who continue to serve. Let's go to verse 12 through to verse 17. And when he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. Do you understand what I have done for you? He asked them. Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. And then he says in verse 17, Now that you know these things, you'll be blessed if you do them. Jesus did this as an example for us to follow. And it's something that we should continue to do. I've met many Christian leaders who say, Oh, I've served my Jews. I used to serve, I used to help in some of the small things. And you know, we should never be past that. You know, there are times when we need to lay those things aside to focus on the most important things that we need to do and uh and things that that only we can do as leaders, but at the same time we should always have an attitude that I'm prepared to do whatever it takes, I'm prepared to serve however God gives me opportunity. We're servants of Christ before we called to do something. And then in verse 17, amazing thing Jesus says. He says, Now that you know this, you'll be blessed if you do it. That word if is a small word, but it has huge implications in scripture. If you do this, you will be blessed. And if we serve, if we continue to serve, the Bible says we will be blessed and we will have a great influence. So we've seen from this message today that God wants us to have true greatness. He wants us to have influence, impact. He wants to see his kingdom increase wherever he has planted us or placed us. We need to understand we may desire greatness, but we have to have it redefined for us. True greatness is the in the kingdom is being a servant. And then Jesus demonstrated it as our example and calls us, even commands us to follow his example and says, if we do it, we will be blessed. I encourage you today, continue to serve the Lord and serve his people. Let's stay humble, let's stay teachable, let's be people that God can use to serve him and his kingdom. God bless you.