Lesser is Greater

Introduction

Several years ago, I met a main named Joe. Unfortunately, the occasion for our meeting wasn’t the best. I had come to pray with Joe prior to his having a long-shot surgery and what proved to be a fatal brain tumor. But, that morning was extraordinary. We laughed and told stories, and I felt like I had known Joe all of my life. He was kind and put me at ease. He was constantly making his sister smile as she was fighting back tears. To this day, I don’t know that I’ve ever met a man that had a greater zeal for life. It was contagious. Everybody from doctors to other patients found themselves captivated by the magnetic joy that Joe couldn’t hide.

Joe and I began a friendship that day. I didn’t know anything else about him, but I knew this man was my brother and this man had a lot of what I was missing. Every Sunday morning at church, Joe would make a beeline for me, and he and I would talk about our weeks and Joe would always talk about how excited he was to be in church that day. To this day, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a man sing with as big of a smile on his face than did Joe, tumor and all, suffering and all. As the tumor progressed, Joe was able to come to church less and less, and I began to visit him more and more. I remember being taken back the first time that I visited Joe at his home. It was a modest mobile home in a less than affluent side of town. While I was with him, I began to learn his story. Joe was a lifelong roofer and had lived his life hard. The man that he worked for, a member at my church at the time, had shared the gospel with him over and over again, and finally one day, Joe abandoned his life of sin and surrendered his life to the Lord. And as Joe would say, “Nothing was ever the same again.” When the Lord finally called Joe home, the family asked me to preach his funeral. That day, we gathered in a sanctuary that could seat 2000 people, and I remember being stunned by how full it was. We were there to remember a roofer, not a city councilmen or a prominent lawyer. We were there to celebrate the life of a man that didn’t have a dollar to his name when he died and yet people poured in from all over. Story after story I heard from these people and how Joe had told them about Jesus or how he had been such a kind influence in their life.

If I am to be ambitious, it is to be that kind of man — the kind of man whose life is not defined by the fortune or the inheritance that I can leave behind, but the impact and the love, grace, and joy. This morning, we are going to see Jesus teaching his disciples about this true form of greatness.

And, on that day, I realized something: That is greatness in the Kingdom of God! If I am to be ambitious, it is to be that kind of man — the kind of man whose life is not defined by the fortune or the inheritance that I can leave behind, but the impact and the love, grace, and joy. This morning, we are going to see Jesus teaching his disciples about this true form of greatness.

God’s Word

Read

“Who is the Greatest?”

"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" These guys aren't asking Jesus a philosophical question about greatness. They weren't asking Jesus to define greatness in the Kingdom of God. They were asking, "How great are we in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Or, "Which of us are the greatest in the Kingdom of God?" We know this by Jesus' answer, and we know this because this has been their constant question. In Mark's account of this same story, he tells us that they spent their entire walk that day arguing about who the greatest was in the Kingdom. The disciples are wanting to know how they measure up with one another. They want Jesus to settle for them how the compare to each other and who comes out on top. They always want to know their rank in the Kingdom. It's as though they are in the military and trying to see who's getting what promotion.

"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?" These guys aren't asking Jesus a philosophical question about greatness. They weren't asking Jesus to define greatness in the Kingdom of God. They were asking, "How great are we in the Kingdom of Heaven?" Or, "Which of us are the greatest in the Kingdom of God?" We know this by Jesus' answer, and we know this because this has been their constant question. In Mark's account of this same story, he tells us that they spent their entire walk that day arguing about who the greatest was in the Kingdom. The verb that's used here is in the comparative form. The disciples are wanting to know how they measure up with one another. They want Jesus to settle for them how the compare to each other and who comes out on top. They always want to know their rank in the Kingdom. It's as though they are in the military and trying to see who's getting what promotion. They always want to know "Who is the top disciple? The question has become more urgent as Jesus has made it clearer that he is going to die; in that case, who is going to take the lead when he is gone?" (France)

I see this same pursuit, this same argument in my life. Constantly, I'm always wanting to know how I'm measuring up. I want to believe that I am in some way more acceptable to God than someone else, more devout than someone else, more committed than someone else, more insightful than someone else. I find in my own heart this attitude that cries out to God, "Am I the greatest? Am I the most useful? Aren't you just especially proud of me?" Do you find this to be true of you? For all of us who struggle with measuring up, let us remember the gospel this morning. Jesus came because we could not measure up, and Jesus came so that we would measure up. The cross reminds us that we could never measure up, and the gospel sings to us that we don’t have to.

Neither Pride, Nor Despair

The irony of this attitude is found in who we're following. While the disciples seek to know who is the greatest in the eyes of Jesus, Jesus himself has humbled himself by leaving a place that proclaimed in greatness and coming to a place that would execute him as the scum of the earth. While I seek to win the comparison game with other pastors and other Christians, the incomparable Savior I'm following has set for me an example of humiliation over glory. While you are jealous that someone else is appreciated more or when you self-righteously view yourself as a better Christian than your brother or sister, Jesus himself is interceding for you before the Father saying, "Forgive him, Father, for I died for this sin."

APPLICATION: The comparison game, the measuring up game always has one of two ends: 1) It inflates your ego and fuels your pride because you perceive yourself as being greater than others. 2) Or, it crushes your soul because you never seem to measure up to the other mothers or the other men or everybody else at school. And, whichever position you find yourself in, what I want you know this morning is that the Gospel is calling for you to put it down. The irony of this attitude is found in who we're following. While the disciples seek to know who is the greatest in the eyes of Jesus, Jesus himself has humbled himself by leaving a place that proclaimed in greatness and coming to a place that would execute him as the scum of the earth. So, on the one hand, if you find yourself feeling like you’re measuring up, then I ask you why did Jesus have to come? Jesus came because you cannot measure up. And, if you find yourself always falling short and falling into despair, then I ask you: Is this not why Jesus came to begin with? At the cross there is not room for either pride or despair. At the cross, Jesus measured up for you because you never would, and that standard has been met forever! Dear brother or sister, visit the cross this morning!

Particles of Pride

"unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" Jesus' response must've been stunning to his disciples. In their minds, Jesus is going to solve the controversy. And, Jesus tells them that the content of their controversy is the pathway to hell. It, perhaps, seems like an overreaction from Jesus to say that they will go to hell or that perhaps He will tie a millstone around their necks and have them drowned, until we understand how evil this really is. For we are seeing in the lives of Jesus' disciples the very essence of the oldest sin in the universe: pride. Why was it that Lucifer, that angel of light, was cast out of heaven? He wanted God's glory. What was the sin that caused Adam and Eve to be cast from the Garden and face a certain death? They wanted to know what God knew. They wanted to be like God himself. Why were the people at Babel judged and confused by many languages? They wanted to reach the heights of heaven by their own power and wisdom. What we see in the lives of the disciples this day and what we find in our own lives as we look is the sin of pride. The disciples believed that they deserved status in Jesus’ court, and we believe that Jesus is better with us than without us. I believe that if we were to boil down every sin in our lives to their most basic, atomic level that the very atoms that come together to form the wickedness in our lives would be none other than the particles of pride.

Pride the Abomination

The truth is that all of us know that we have pride, and yet very few of us worry about it. That's why Jesus' reaction is so shocking to us. This is one of those regular, ole' sins. This isn't a big one. Everybody has it! I have seen more than one person, even Christian person, say with a smirk that they were a little cocky. I once had a pastor of a large church tell me that every successful pastor he knew, including himself, was a little bit cocky. It seems that we find solace in the fact that we know the prevalence of pride among our friends, and so we consider it a lesser sin. But, you cannot be a biblical Christian and hold that view of pride. In , it gives us seven deadly sins that the Lord hates. It gives us seven sins that the Lord God calls an abomination in his word. And, do you know which sin is at the very top of the list? Pride. says, "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished." Homosexuality is an abomination to God. And, so is pride. The only difference is that we don't hate pride nearly as much. We're numb to it.

God Opposes the Proud

What we see revealed in Jesus' response to his disciples is nothing less than the very character of God. We could summarize what Jesus says here as: "If you are for yourself than I am against you. If you are living for your greatness and your accolades and your victory in the comparison game, then I am against you. I am not for you. Pride and prideful people have no place in the my Kingdom." I say that this reveals the character of God because of what the Holy Spirit writes in , "Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another (NOT COMPARISON WITH ONE ANOTHER), for 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.'" This verse says, in no uncertain terms, that pride brings the active opposition of God into your life. He goes so far in chapter 3 as to say that God will refuse to hear the prayers of prideful, harsh husbands. So, Jesus is opposing his disciples because God always opposes the proud.

APPLICATION: Have you considered that your pride, your haughtiness, your false humility, your desire to be great in everyone else's eyes could be bringing the opposition of God himself into your life? Could this be why God doesn’t hear your prayers? Could this be why you feel so far from God? Could it be that pride has caused God to oppose you? Could pride be the reason that your loved ones haven’t been converted? Could pride be the reason in which you have no contentment or joy in Christ?

Turn as the Converted

And, so Jesus demands that they 'turn' away from their pride so that they might be saved from hell. Some translations like the NASB even translate the word 'turn' as 'be converted.' Jesus is calling them to abandon thoughts of status and rank and achievement for sake of revealing the very character of the Lord himself by lowering themselves for the good of the world and the glory of God. For the achievement of greatness in the often leads to condemnation in the Kingdom of God and greatness in the Kingdom of God will lead to condemnation in the world.

APPLICATION: Turn from your pride, brothers and sisters. Turn from your selfish ambition to be great in the world. Turn away from the desire to be great here! Turn away from your need to recognized and appreciated. Turn away from any status that disqualifies your from doing lowly work. Turn away from all of the comparison games you play between you and other Christians that help you think you're better. Turn away so that God will not be against you, but for you. Turn away so that you are proven as a child of God, not as a child of wrath.

APPLICATION: Turn from your pride, brothers and sisters. Turn from your selfish ambition to be great in the world. Turn away from all of the comparison games you play between you and other Christians that help you think you're better. Turn away so that God will not be against you, but for you. Turn away so that you are proven as a child of God, not as a child of wrath.

Humble Like a Child

"Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest" It's interesting here that Jesus does not rebuke the pursuit of greatness itself. Jesus doesn't want his disciples to stop pursuing greatness; He wants them to stop pursuing the wrong definition of greatness. He wants them to abandon false greatness. He wants them to hate God-robbing greatness and to embrace God-exalting greatness. So, Jesus redefines greatness for his disciples so that they might pursue it. And, I love the way that Jesus does this. Jesus says to his disciples, "Well, guys, since you like comparisons so much; let me give you something to compare yourself to." You can imagine that all of the disciples are expecting him to bring up Peter or James or John so that they could all see how they measure up. And instead, Jesus brings in a young child. The concern here for the disciples is about their status. How high is their status in the Kingdom? And, Jesus brings to them a child, one with no status at all, as an example of how his disciples should appear. He has no education, and he has no reputation. He has not accomplished great things in his life, and he is not a person of influence. Nobody comes to him for counsel, and he doesn't even have any money with which he can help the poor. If you compare the disciples of Jesus to the boy, it would seem to be no contest. And yet, Jesus points to the child and says, "This is greatness in the Kingdom of God. Compare yourself to him. Be like him, if you want to be great."

"Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest" It's interesting here that Jesus does not rebuke the pursuit of greatness itself. Jesus doesn't want his disciples to stop pursuing greatness; He wants them to stop pursuing the wrong definition of greatness. He wants them to abandon false greatness. He wants them to hate God-robbing greatness and to embrace God-exalting greatness. So, Jesus redefines greatness for his disciples so that they might pursue it. And, I love the way that Jesus does this. Jesus says to his disciples, "Well, guys, since you like comparisons so much; let me give you something to compare yourself to." You can imagine that all of the disciples are expecting him to bring up Peter or James or John so that they could all see how they measure up. And instead, Jesus brings in a young child. The concern here for the disciples is about their status. How high is their status in the Kingdom? And, Jesus brings to them a child, one with no status at all, as an example of how his disciples should appear. He has no education, and he has no reputation. He has not accomplished great things in his life, and he is not a person of influence. Nobody comes to him for counsel, and he doesn't even have any money with which he can help the poor. If you compare the disciples of Jesus to the boy, it would seem to be no contest. And yet, Jesus points to the child and says, "This is greatness in the Kingdom of God. Compare yourself to him. Be like him, if you want to be great."

Dependent and Submissive

What is great about the child that Jesus wants to see in his disciples and in us? "We are given no indication of the identity of the child, and that is as it should be: the child's very anonymity helps to make the point." (France) The child goes to Jesus not seeking status or rank, but simply because the child trusts Jesus and submits to him. He simply does what Jesus has told him to do. He comes to Jesus as immediately as Jesus calls him. And, he is totally dependent on the provision of others to sustain him. The child doesn't think, "Man, I am great." He think, "My dad is the strongest man in the universe. My mom is so smart. They always take care of me." Humility and dependence go hand-in-hand. It is pride that tells you that you are the ruler of your own life. But, the child knows better. He is submissive to those above him and utterly dependent upon them for survival.

What is great about the child that Jesus wants to see in his disciples and in us? "We are given no indication of the identity of the child, and that is as it should be: the child's very anonymity helps to make the point." (France) The child goes to Jesus not seeking status or rank, but simply because the child trusts Jesus and submits to him. He simply does what Jesus has told him to do. He comes to Jesus as immediately as Jesus calls him. And, he is totally dependent on the provision of others to sustain him. The child doesn't think, "Man, I am great." He think, "My dad is the strongest man in the universe. My mom is so smart. They always take care of me." Humility and dependence go hand-in-hand. It is pride that tells you that you are the ruler of your own life. But, the child knows better. He is submissive to those above him and utterly dependent upon them for survival. This is how the disciples of Jesus are to live. Totally submissive and dependent upon Christ. It is to live every moment of every day, saying, "Jesus has provided again! His mercies are new again! His grace is enough again! His kindness is here again!" It is to so realize your dependence upon Christ in every aspect of your life, whether it's school or sports, work or parenting, that you are constantly deflecting any threat of glory for yourself to the true source of everything good found in your life: Jesus Christ.

This is how the disciples of Jesus are to live. Totally submissive and dependent upon Christ. It is to live every moment of every day, saying, "Jesus has provided again! His mercies are new again! His grace is enough again! His kindness is here again!" It is to so realize your dependence upon Christ in every aspect of your life, whether it's school or sports, work or parenting, that you are constantly deflecting any threat of glory for yourself to the true source of everything good found in your life: Jesus Christ.

Earthly Greatness Verses Kingdom Greatness

This is the difference between earthly greatness and Kingdom greatness. Earthly greatness tells the story of how you came from nothing to build for yourself a great life. It's a story of adventurous, courageous pride that leaves everyone in awe of the obstacles that you've overcome and the good things that you've accomplished against the odds. Kingdom greatness says the opposite. Kingdom greatness tells the story of how you once thought you were strong and great and mighty only to realize how wretchedly weak you really are. Kingdom greatness tells the story of your weakness being overcome by God's strength so that you are actually joyful and useful and peaceful.

This is the difference between earthly greatness and Kingdom greatness. Earthly greatness tells the story of how you came from nothing to build for yourself a great life. It's a story of adventurous, courageous pride that leaves everyone in awe of the obstacles that you've overcome and the good things that you've accomplished against the odds. Kingdom greatness says the opposite. Kingdom greatness tells the story of how you once thought you were strong and great and mighty only to realize how wretchedly weak you really are. Kingdom greatness tells the story of your weakness being overcome by God's strength so that you are actually joyful and useful and peaceful.

Whose Greatness Matters to You?

“whoever receives one of these little ones in my name receives me” APPLICATION: How can you know if you are humble? Whose greatness matters to you? Humble people are willing to teach children and never be thanked and most of the church not even know that they do it because they want the kids to know that Jesus is great. Humble people are willing to take care of sick people without being asked or appreciated because Jesus has said that it shows him as great when you take care of his little ones. Humble people can have as much cheer in scrubbing toilets as they can preaching to millions or having a parking spot with their name on it because the only greatness they care about is Jesus’ greatness. Whose greatness matters to you? Whose greatness are you living for? Whose greatness determines the decisions you make?

This Isn’t Just About You

APPLICATION:

“it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea” And, brothers and sisters, this isn’t just about you. This is about your family. This is about your church. This is about the kids in our children’s ministry. It’s about the young men and women in our youth ministry. It’s about young moms and your friends of 20 years. One of the greatest lies that we can believe about our pride and our sin is that it only affects us. This is what Jesus points out to his disciples here. Their pride and pursuit of wordly greatness was not only going to destroy them; it was going to destroy the very children that Jesus had come to save. It was going to undermine the very mission that Jesus had called them to carry out. And, this is going to be Jesus’ main theme over the whole of . It is an extended discourse on how we are to relate to one another as disciple of Jesus. That is, you are not only responsible for your well-being and your godliness; you are responsible for the well-being and godliness of your brothers and sisters.

Pride Will Kill Our Church

Pride is a poison that will kill our church. If we do not put it to death, it will certainly put us to death. Where there is pride, there cannot be unity and there cannot be gospel effectiveness and there cannot be collective passion. There is a collective price to pay for your individual unfaithfulness. In no uncertain terms and in one of the strongest warnings in the Bible Jesus says this: If you are prideful and pursue greatness in the world then you will cause others to think less of Christ than they should and to bring Christ less glory than they could. And, if this is an acceptable loss for you, you will likely find yourself in hell because you don’t know Christ at all.

“And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away” APPLICATION: Maybe you’re wondering: How can my pride kill our church? The truest mark of humility is that you consider others greater than yourself. It matters to you what happens to other people. This is the way of Jesus. This is the way of the cross. God is pleased to let inwardly focused, self-interested churches to die. You see, pride says, “I’ve paid my dues, and now I get to coast for a while.” Pride says, “I just need to come and be fed and let other people who are less busy than I am serve.” It says that the preaching and the music and ministries exist for my benefit. But, this is not where we gather to for the mere good of ourselves. This is where we gather for the good of one another. This is where we gather that our community might be transformed. This is where we gather so that we can work out our salvation with fear and trembling. This is where we gather to sharpen one another the way iron sharpens iron. Brothers and sisters, you are a stumbling block to the gospel when you are too busy and too self-important and too self-consumed to look beyond yourself. Oh, put to death your selfishness this morning before it puts you to death! Put to death your pride today before it puts our church today. If your right eye causes you to only look to yourself, gouge it out! If your hands are only good for serving yourself, cut them off! If your life is only teaching others that it’s okay to be spiritually gluttonous consumer in the church, lay it down!

APPLICATION: If it’s between your family being faithful to travel ball and being faithful in the Kingdom of God, cut off travel ball! For it is better to achieve less and pay for college and not learn to throw a curveball than it is to go to hell. If

Landing

Brothers and sisters, be courageous! Let the revival start with you! Deny yourself greatness in the world for the sake of eternal greatness! Deny yourself sinful indulgence for the good of your family! Put to death your wickedness so that your church might be transformed into the image of Christ. I'm pleading with God for five that would change course this morning! I'm pleading with God for five that would be broken before God this morning! I'm praying that God would raise up five through whom He would begin a revival in us and in our families!

Brothers and sisters, be courageous! Let the revival start with you! Deny yourself greatness in the world for the sake of eternal greatness! Deny yourself sinful indulgence for the good of your family! Put to death your wickedness so that your church might be transformed into the image of Christ. I'm pleading with God for five that would change course this morning! I'm pleading with God for five that would be broken before God this morning! I’m pleading for five this morning that would be truly great! I'm praying that God would raise up five through whom He would begin a revival in us and in our families!