I grew up listening to Paul Harvey on the radio. He was famous for informing the public on very interesting facts that we otherwise would not know. And after he gave us the punch-line of the story he would always say, “Now you know the rest of the story.” Well, Sunday night I preached a sermon titled “A Vision for Greatness” from Mark 10:35-45. With the time allotted to me (by me) I preached the text. Being sensitive to time and the fullness of the service, I cut my sermon short of the different applications I intended to communicate to the congregation. This blog format now gives me the perfect opportunity to tell you the rest of the sermon.
If you were there Sunday night, I told you that true greatness is the attitude and life of a servant. In vv. 35-41 we saw the DESIRE for greatness. In vv. 42-44 we saw the DEFINITION of greatness. And in v. 45 we saw the DEMONSTRATION of greatness. The applications that flow from the text are below:
- Understand the difference between the two kinds of greatness. There is a big difference between the world’s definition of greatness and the Lord’s definition of greatness. The world defines greatness as the ability to get as many people as possible to admire you, envy you, and serve you. The Lord defines greatness as the free and joyful service offered to benefit the needs of others. So, the more you joyfully serve others, the more you will attain to true greatness.
- Understand your own propensity toward worldly greatness. We all have an inherent desire for personal glory. We want to be noticed. We want to be esteemed. We want to receive credit. We want to receive the attention we feel we deserve. So in our hearts we ask, “how can I achieve more personal glory in this situation?” Instead we should ask, “How can I maximize my service for the glory of Christ in this situation?”
- Recognize and confess the greatness of Christ! I have had the privilege of experiencing Yosemite National Park about five times. Every time I go, I find something new that captures my awe (e.g. Sequoyah trees, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Nevada River, Sierra Nevadas). And those of you who know me well have listened to my many confessions of Yosemite’s awesomeness. I recognized greatness and now I confess greatness. Recognition, then confession. In the same way, when we truly recognize the greatness of Jesus we can’t help but confess Him to others. We need to spend time looking over the landscape of Jesus’ life and death and resurrection and be in awe. Jesus epitomized greatness. The more you survey the Prince of Glory, the more you will be in awe of Him. And the more you are in awe of Him, the more you will confess His greatness.
- Embrace the pursuit of true greatness. The desire for greatness is innate and honorable. God is great, and as His image-bearers we have both the capacity for greatness and the desire for it. So pursue greatness! I know that sounds more like a coach of an Olympic team than the pastor of a church. But I mean it. Pursue greatness (as the Lord defines it). Pursue the selfless and joyful service of other people. Take an inventory of the people in your life (family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, strangers) and ask yourself the question, “how can I serve the people God has put in my path?” The more you joyfully serve, the more you will attain to true greatness.
- Go serve! Seriously, just go do it. Meet the need of someone today. Plan your day tomorrow in such a way that you are going to be a blessing to someone. Plan your Tuesday in such a way that someone’s need is going to be met. And remember, the greatest way to serve anyone is to bring them the hope of the Gospel and the love that comes with it.
by Ryan Limbaugh