Lusting for Power

MEMORIAL DAY—REMEMBERING THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN....

PITCH—CAMP SUSQUE 5K/10K—WALKING/RUNNING GROUP

TURN to 2 SAM. 15...

OPEN in PRAYER...

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INTRO: “THE DESIRE FOR POWER/SIGNIFICANCE”

INFLUENCE/POWER = DESIRED BY MANY THROUGHOUT HUMAN HISTORY

WORLD TODAY—EASIER to BECOME “FAMOUS”

RISE of INFLUENCERS...

---SOME PEOPLE DESIRE POSITIONS of PROMINENCE to FEEL GOOD---

SOME LIKE POSITION BECAUSE it BRINGS POWER

POLITICS

WORKPLACE/ORGANIZATION

CHURCH

—> PEOPLE CAN DEVELOP a “LUST” FOR POWER...

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BUT SHOULD the CHRISTIAN’S AIM BE to BE in POSITIONS of POWER/INFLUENCE??

NOT INHERENTLY WRONG:

SOME FAMOUS PEOPLE SPEAK OUT REGARDING FAITH

FAMOUS PREACHERS GET GOSPEL OUT THROUGHOUT the WORLD...

BUT OUR ASPIRATION SHOULD BE FAITHFUL & HUMBLE SERVICE to GOD,, WHEREVER HE PUTS US...

GOD CAN ELEVATE/EXALT the HUMBLE as HE PLEASES...

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VERY UNFAMILIAR PASSAGE:

1 Thessalonians 4:11–12 (ESV)

11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you,

12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

LIVING QUIETLY

MINDING OWN BUSINESS/BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT

BEING an EXAMPLE to the NONBELIEVER...

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APOSTLES DID TURN WORLD UPSIDE DOWN:

WE SHOULD SEEK to IMPACT PEOPLE in OUR SPHERE of INFLUENCE for CHRIST...

BUT THE CHRISTIAN’S GOAL SHOULDN’T BE GREATNESS

NEED:

AND THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS WE NEED OUR TEXT TODAY.

TEXT WILL CHALLENGE US on DANGERS of LUST for POWER...

IF GOD PUTS US THERE, SO BE IT.

BUT OUR ASPIRATION SHOULD BE A LIFE of HUMBLE & FAITHFUL SERVICE to GOD

(T) I WANT YOU TO KEEP THESE THINGS IN MIND AS WE DIVE INTO OUR TEXT TODAY.

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RECAP: “WHERE ALLEGIANCE LIES”

DAVID FAILING to BRING ABSALOM to JUSTICE...

HORRIBLE TURN of EVENTS:

AMNON RAPES TAMAR

ABSALOM KILLS AMNON

ABSALOM RUNS AWAY

KING MISSED ABSALOM… BUT UNDER the LAW,, ABSALOM DESERVED to DIE...

YET THERE WERE NO CONSEQUENCES

NO DISCIPLINE

NO CONFRONTATION

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Last Wk:

JOAB SENDS “WISE WOMAN” to HIT DAVID W/ STORY...

STORY NOT APPLES to APPLES...

STIRRING DAVID’S FEELINGS,, NOT FOLLOWING GOD’S LAW...

AN EXCESSIVE APPEAL to GOD’S KINDNESS BRINGS ABSALOM HOME SCOTT-FREE

We learned:

YES: BE GRACIOUS & KIND BECAUSE GOD IS...

BUT GOD is ALSO HOLY & JUST...

AN APPEAL to KINDNESS & FORGIVENESS, ETC. CAN’T ALWAYS OVERRIDE DOING the JUST/RIGHT THING

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DAVID as KING—EXPECTED to PROMOTE JUSTICE

ABSALOM RETURNS HOME WITHOUT CONSEQUENCES

RECONCILIATION BETWEEN the TWO

ABSALOM = UNCHANGED

(T) SO, WE’LL SEE IF THIS RECONCILIATION PROVES TO BE WHAT WAS BEST FOR DAVID’S HOUSEHOLD AND FOR ISRAEL.

LOOK WITH ME AT CHAPTER 15, VERSE 1 TODAY. THE TEXT SAYS,

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TEXT: 2 SAMUEL 15:1-37 ESV

SETTING/INCITING INCIDENT (V1-6) “ABSALOM’S DECEIT”

2 Samuel 15:1–12 (ESV)

1 After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

2 And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,”

3 Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.”

4 Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.”

5 And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.

6 Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

TEXT BEGINS: ABSALOM GATHERING CHARIOTS AND MEN.

ABSALOM = ALREADY INCREDIBLY GOOD-LOOKING GUY. “MAGAZINE COVER GUY”

LEADER WORLD DESIRES—GOOD LOOKING & TYPE-A,

GET IT DONE SORT of GUY...

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REMEMBER SAUL?

GOOD-LOOKING, AND THEREFORE GOOD KING MATERIAL?

ISRAEL DEMANDED A KING LIKE THE NATIONS.....AND THEY GOT A KING LIKE THE NATIONS.

LOOKED GOOD OUTWARDLY…BUT NOT INWARDLY....

ABSALOM—LIKE SAUL 2.0...

BEST LOOKING GUY in ISRAEL

5 LBS of HAIR!

NOW HAS CHARIOTS, MEN, ETC. WHOLE ENTOURAGE

ABSALOM HAD ALL WORLDLY STANDARDS of KINGSHIP,,

JUST LACKED the TITLE & the THRONE...

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ABSALOM WORKS to REMEDY THIS...

WHEN PEOPLE CAME to KING for JUSTICE/JUDGMENT...

ABSALOM THROWS DAVID UNDER BUS

“HE’S TOO BUSY”.. && THERE’S NO ONE to HEAR YOU OUT

WEIRD-LAST WK. “WISE WOMAN” GOT a HEARING??

IF ABSALOM WAS KING,, THINGS WOULD BE BETTER

LIKE ALL POLITICIANS,, THEY CLAIM THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION = HORRIBLE,, & THEY’LL FIX IT ALL!

WITH KING ABSALOM—EVERYONE GETS a HEARING!

EVEN TELLS PEOPLE—THEY’VE GOT a GOOD CASE—REAL SHAME IT WON’T GO ANYWHERE!.... SAD STORY

ABSALOM’S a WORLD-CLASS MANIPULATOR!

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WE MUST REMEMBER THAT ALL of ABSALOM’S MISBEHAVIOR & SIN FOLLOWS CLOSELY BEHIND DAVID’S WEAKNESS IN DEALING WITH HIS SON.

ABSALOM SOWING DIVISION

STEALING HEARTS of ISRAEL

ALL = DIRECT RESULT of DAVID’S INABILITY to CONFRONT/DISCIPLINE HIS SON...

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NOW: ABSALOM EXPLOITS HIS FATHER’S WEAKNESS...

POINTS OUT HE’D DO a BETTER JOB… PRESENT REGIME HAS to GO!

ABSALOM DESIRED TO BE SOMEONE GREAT. HE WANTED TO BE FIRST. HE WANTED TO BE THE GUY.

WHEREAS DAVID = HUMBLE SHEPHERD— SOUGHT OUT BY GOD!

ABSALOM = BORN INTO ROYAL FAMILY —> PRIVILEGED AT BIRTH

NOT ENOUGH!

HE HAS to BE #1!

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THIS LUST FOR POWER & POSITION:

CAUSES HIM to ABANDON FAMILY

CROSS HIS FATHER

STEP OUTSIDE of GOD’S WILL

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WE MUST ASK: WHAT MANNER of “JUSTICE” WOULD ABSALOM BRING??

NOT CONSULTING GOD’S LAW!

ONE WHO DETERMINES RIGHT & WRONG BY THEIR OWN DECREE WILL NEVER BE JUST

NO ONE CAN EVER CLAIM TO BE “JUST” IF THEY AREN’T WILLING TO FOLLOW THE GOD WHO IS JUST.

ABSALOM DOESN’T CARE ABOUT JUSTICE —> HE JUST WANTS POWER…HE WANTS to BE in CHARGE!

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ABSALOM’S DESIRE—MAKES US WONDER HOW “JUST” HE WAS in AVENGING TAMAR...

DID HE KILL AMNON for “JUSTICE”??

OR to BE 1 STEP CLOSER to THRONE??

AMNON WAS THE FIRSTBORN SON, THE MOST LIKELY TO ASCEND THE THRONE OF ISRAEL.

CHILEAB, DAVID’S SECOND SON-- MANY SCHOLARS PRESUME HE DIED BEFORE ADULTHOOD.

THIRD-BORN SON BEING 1ST in LINE NOW… THIS = ABSALOM...

ABSALOM HATED AMNON FOR HIS SIN,, SURE...

BUT WAS THAT ALL??

COMMON SENSE W/ CHARACTER LIKE THIS SAYS,, NO.

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SO ABSALOM PUTS HIS FATHER DOWN,, TO MAKE HIMSELF LOOK BETTER....

CUT OTHERS OFF @ KNEES,,, YOU’LL BE the BIGGEST

IF YOU TEAR SOMEONE DOWN ENOUGH,, YOU’LL LOOK GOOD BY COMPARISON

BUT the PEOPLE of GOD OUGHT to BE KNOWN FOR HUMILITY,,

FOR EDIFYING/BUILDING UP OTHERS,,

NOT FOR SELF-EXALTATION...

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SO ABSALOM STEALS the HEARTS of ISRAEL...

HE’LL FIX THEIR PROBLEMS

HE’S ONE of THEM,, WOULD FORBID OTHERS to BOW BEFORE HIM...

SMILING

WAVING

KISSING BABIES

ABSALOM MAKES a GREAT POLITICIAN...

(T) SO, WHAT DOES HE DO NEXT? LOOK WITH ME AT VERSE 7. THE TEXT SAYS,

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RISING ACTION (V7-9) “ABSALOM’S REQUEST”

7 And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the Lord, in Hebron.

8 For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the Lord will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the Lord.’ ”

9 The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron.

SCRIPTURE DOESN’T TELL US ABSALOM LIES,,, BUT WE CAN PRETTY WELL ASSUME...

ABSALOM DOESN’T STRIKE US AS BEING VERY RELIGIOUS...

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DEPENDING on TIMELINE

4 YEARS TOTAL

or 2 YEARS (HOME W/ SILENT TREATMENT) + 4 YEARS LATER—6 TOTAL

ABSALOM GETS AROUND to FULFILLING a “VOW”

WE WONDER,, NOW HE WANTS to GET THESE THINGS STRAIGHT??

Deuteronomy 23:21–23 (ESV)

21 “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin.

22 But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin.

23 You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.

WITH ALL ABSALOM’S TIME HANGING AROUND the CITY GATE,, HE JUST NOW GETS AROUND to FULFILLING VOW,, 4-6 YEARS LATER???

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ABSALOM DOESN’T MENTION GOD MUCH…AT ALL??

CERTAINLY NO “MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART!”

ABSALOM = TYPE to USE OTHERS...

HAS SERVANTS KILL HIS BROTHER

HAS SERVANTS LIGHT JOAB’S BARLEY FIELDS

&& NOW HE’S “USING” GOD

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SADLY—DAVID FALLS FOR IT & SENDS ABSALOM OFF.

SCHOLARS POINT OUT:

DAVID’S AFFECTION FOR SPIRITUAL THINGS—MAKES THIS a WEAK SPOT

DAVID = PROBABLY THRILLED W/ ABSALOM’S CHANGE of HEART....

SUSPICIOUS?? YEAH...

BUT ABSALOM’S TURNING to GOD...

PRODIGAL MIGHT BE COMING HOME to THE FATHER

THE KING TELLS ABSALOM TO GO IN PEACE.

DAVID’S LAST WORDS to ABSALOM..

(T) AND IRONICALLY, ABSALOM, WHOSE NAME MEANS, “FATHER OF PEACE” IS GIVEN A WISH OF PEACE FROM THE KING,

BUT IT’S NOT PEACE THAT HE’S LOOKING FOR.

§ LOOK WITH ME AT VERSE 10. THE TEXT SAYS,

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CLIMAX (V10-12) “ABSALOM’S REBELLION”

10 But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’ ”

11 With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing.

12 And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.

ABSALOM’S PLAN—BRING ISRAEL UNDER HIS REIGN,, ASSUMED @ HEBRON,, HIS HOME TOWN...

BEGINS IT ALL WITH THIS FAÇADE OF RELIGION, OFFERING THESE SACRIFICES.

SAD IRONY: WALKING in DIRECT DISOBEDIENCE to GOD & OFFERING SACRIFICES of WORSHIP???

GOD HADN’T APPOINTED HIM to BE KING…AT LEAST NOT YET...

DAVID = STILL ALIVE

NO SUCCESSION PLAN...

NO REVELATION FROM NATHAN or ANOTHER PROPHET

NARRATOR CALLS THIS a CONSPIRACY…NO APPROVAL AT ALL

200 PEOPLE CAUGHT in HARD PLACE—STUCK FOLLOWING ABSALOM,, PROBABLY FEELING LIFE = THREATENED

AMONG CONSPIRATORS = AHITHOPHEL—SPECIAL COUNSELOR to DAVID

((SCHOLARS POINT OUT ALSO BATHSHEBA’S GRANDFATHER))

DAVID’S WEAKNESS in DEALING W/ REBELLIOUS SON HAS COME HOME to ROOST....

(T)AND SO, WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE TODAY, THE IDEA THAT,

HOMILETICAL IDEA:

THE PEOPLE OF GOD OUGHT NOT TO SEEK GREATNESS OR POWER FOR THEMSELVES, BUT INSTEAD SHOULD SEEK TO HUMBLY SERVE GOD WHERE HE HAS APPOINTED THEM.

GOD PROMISES to EXALT the HUMBLE

—> THIS = WHAT HE DID W/ DAVID!! SHEPHERD BOY TURNED KING!

DESIRE for EXALTATION/POWER/INFLUENCE == LUST THAT WILL UTTERLY CONSUME a PERSON...

BROUGHT ABOUT DESTRUCTION FOR ABSALOM & PROBLEMS FOR WHOLE FAMILY...

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GOSPEL: HUMILITY LEADING TO EXALTATION

CRAZY THING: ABSALOM = NEXT in LINE—FOLLOWING STANDARDS of the DAY...

AMNON DEAD

2ND SON GONE

ABSALOM = NEXT in LINE

HE COULDN’T WAIT FOR GOD to ELEVATE HIM

HE HAD an INSATIABLE LUST for POWER & CONTROL

HE WANTED the CROWN, BUT WASN’T WILLING to DO IT GOD’S WAY...

(T) JESUS WAS TEMPTED W/ SAME THING...

GOSPEL of MATTHEW:

JESUS’ TEMPTATION,,

DEVIL TAKES HIM on TOP of HIGH MOUNTAIN

SHOWS KINGDOMS of WORLD & THEIR GLORY

PROMISED to GIVE THEM...

SATAN PROMISED the CROWN WITHOUT the CROSS...

JESUS—UNIQUE SON of GOD—KNEW THIS WASN’T the WAY...

IN GOD’S KINGDOM:

POWER/AUTHORITY/INFLUENCE. ETC...

THEY COME AFTER HUMILITY...

GREATNESS COMES from SERVANTHOOD

& BEING FIRST COMES FROM BEING SLAVE of ALL...

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NO BETTER EXAMPLE THAN JESUS

CAME NOT to BE SERVED, BUT to SERVE & GIVE HIS LIFE

Mark 10:45 (ESV)

45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Philippians 2:6–8 (ESV)

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

HE DIED for US,, WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS---THE GREATEST ACT of HUMILITY & SERVICE THIS WORLD HAS EVER SEEN...

IN RESPONSE,, GOD EXALTED HIM:

Philippians 2:9–11 (ESV)

9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name,

10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

WORLD SEES HIM as WEAK,, AS LOWLY,, BUT HE is NOW the EXALTED KING...

&& ONE DAY EVERY KNEE WILL BOW & TONGUE CONFESS: JESUS is LORD!

ON the DAY HE RETURNS in GLORY—THE OPPORTUNITY FOR SALVATION WILL BE NO MORE…

FOR HE COMES as A CONQUERING KING...

HAVE YOU RECEIVED HIM,, THIS SIDE of ETERNITY?

HAVE YOU ACKNOWLEDGED THAT JESUS CHRIST is LORD of ALL CREATION & the LORD of YOUR LIFE??

HAVE YOU YIELDED YOUR LIFE in SUBMISSION to CHRIST?

HAVE YOU BOWED YOUR KNEE to the LORDSHIP of CHRIST?

THERE’S a WINDOW BETWEEN HIS 1ST & 2ND COMING FOR US to RESPOND...

SALVATION = FREE GIFT,, PAID FOR BY BLOOD of CHRIST

YOU CAN BE SAVED TODAY

(T) AND IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOU STAND WITH THE LORD TODAY, OR YOU HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING MATTERS OF FAITH, I’D LOVE TO SPEAK WITH YOU AFTER THE SERVICE.

AND NOW, IN CLOSING, I’D LIKE TO SHARE A FEW TAKEAWAYS WITH YOU ALL TODAY.

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TAKEAWAYS:

LEARN ABOUT US?

OUR INABILITY to DEAL W/ PROBLEMS, RUG-BRUSHING WILL NOT SOLVE PROBLEM...

DAVID’S SIN in NOT DEALING W/ HIS SON IS COMING BACK to HAUNT HIM...

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2ND THING: WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WITH OUR WORDS AND WHAT WE LISTEN TO FROM OTHERS.

ABSALOM TORE DOWN HIS FATHER to ELEVATE HIMSELF...

LET’S NEVER LET THIS CHARACTERIZE US as a CHURCH...

ABSALOM’S EFFORTS RUINED DAVID’S IMAGE in the EYES of the PEOPLE...

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APP: “THE ONE GREATER THAN JOHN”

A LUST FOR POWER = INSATIABLE & ALL-CONSUMING...

IT WILL STOP @ NOTHING....

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DESIRE for GREATNESS & POWER APART FROM GODLINESS = HUGE TEMPTATION to MANY..MUST BE CONQUERED...

NOTICE WHAT THIS DESIRE DID to ABSALOM:

CAUSED HIM to CUT OTHERS OFF @ KNEES to MAKE HIMSELF LOOK BETTER

CAUSED HIM to LIE

CAUSED HIM to USE GOD & LIE!

ABSALOM DIDN’T CARE ABOUT the KINGDOM of GOD…ONLY the KINGDOM of ABSALOM...

SAME WAY AMNON WOULDN’T BE DENIED...

ABSALOM WOULDN’T BE DENIED...

LUST FOR POWER/INFLUENCE/POSITION CAN BE ALL CONSUMING...

THIS DESIRE = SINFUL & ULTIMATELY RESULTS in DEATH...

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· AND SO, I WANT TO ASK YOU THIS MORNING, CHRISTIAN, DOES THIS DESIRE CHARACTERIZE YOU?

o DO YOU DESIRE TO BE SOMETHING GREAT?

§ TO HAVE POWER?

· TO HAVE INFLUENCE?

IN WORKPLACE

IN the CHURCH EVEN AT TIMES THIS HAPPENS...

DO YOU DESIRE to BE GREAT?

OR ARE YOU WILLING to KEEP YOURSELF in HUMBLE SERVICE of the ONLY ONE WHO IS TRULY GREAT??

**IF GOD DESIRES YOU to BE IN THOSE POSITIONS of INFLUENCE,, HE’LL PUT YOU THERE

BUT IF NOT…WILL YOU HUMBLY ACCEPT YOUR LOT in LIFE?

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IN a WORLD FILLED W/ ABSALOMS…ARE WE WILLING to FAITHFULLY & HUMBLY SERVE GOD & LET HIM EXALT US?

WORLD CELEBRATES ABSALOM

NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE CUT DOWN FOR THEM to GET THERE

THEY’RE “SELF-MADE”

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INSTEAD,, LET’S FIGHT THIS TEMPTATION BY LIVING as JOHN the BAPTIST DID...

John 3:30 (ESV)

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

&& YOU KNOW,, JESUS SAID JOHN = GREATEST AMONG THOSE BORN of WOMEN… NONE GREATER THAN JOHN!

&& THIS IS JESUS TALKING!

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT HE SAYS OF US??

THAT THE LEAST in the KINGDOM of HEAVEN.... IS GREATER THAN JOHN!

HOW INCREDIBLE IS THIS?!?!

SHOULD THIS NOT SETTLE OUR AMBITIONS??

IF I’M in the KINGDOM…I’M GREATER THAN JOHN…AND AMONG PEOPLE JOHN is the GREATEST....

CHURCH… WE DON’T NEED the GREATNESS THIS WORLD OFFERS...

JESUS OFFERS US SOMETHING MUCH BETTER...

AS THE LORD ONCE SAID TO BARUCH THE SCRIBE OF JEREMIAH THE PROPHET: “DO YOU SEEK GREAT THINGS FOR YOURSELF? SEEK THEM NOT.”

LET’S PRAY.