Untitled Sermon

The Model of Greatness

English Standard Version Chapter 18

18 tAt that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you uturn and vbecome like children, you wwill never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 xWhoever humbles himself like this child is the wgreatest in the kingdom of heaven.

5 y“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but zwhoever causes one of these alittle ones who believe in me to sin,1 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.

18 A ce moment-là, les disciples s’approchèrent de Jésus et lui demandèrent : Qui donc est le plus grand dans le royaume des cieux ?

2 Alors Jésus appela un petit enfant, le plaça au milieu d’eux, 3 et dit : Vraiment, je vous l’assure : si vous ne changez pas et ne devenez pas comme de petits enfants, vous n’entrerez pas dans le royaume des cieux. 4 C’est pourquoi le plus grand dans le royaume des cieux est celui qui s’abaisse comme cet enfant, 5 et celui qui accueille, en mon nom, un enfant comme celui-ci, m’accueille moi-même.

6 Si quelqu’un devait causer la chute[a] de l’un de ces petits qui croient en moi, il vaudrait mieux qu’on lui attache au cou une de ces pierres de meule que font tourner les ânes, et qu’on le précipite au fond du lac.

English Standard Version Chapter 9

33 And zthey came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house ahe asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way bthey had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 35 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, c“If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 36 And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and dtaking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 e“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and ewhoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

Marc 9:33-37

33 Ils arrivèrent à Capernaüm. Quand ils furent rentrés à la maison, Jésus leur demanda : De quoi avez-vous discuté en route ?

34 Mais ils se taisaient car, durant le trajet, ils avaient discuté pour savoir lequel d’entre eux était le plus grand.

35 Jésus s’assit, appela les Douze et leur dit : Si quelqu’un désire être le premier, qu’il se fasse le dernier de tous, et le serviteur de tous.

36 Puis il prit un petit enfant par la main, le plaça au milieu d’eux et, après l’avoir serré dans ses bras, il leur dit : 37 Si quelqu’un accueille, en mon nom, un enfant comme celui-ci, il m’accueille moi-même. Et celui qui m’accueille, ce n’est pas moi seulement qu’il accueille, mais aussi celui qui m’a envoyé.

LIKE CHILDREN TO BECOME GREAT

I would like to introduce you to Greatness

Today what is Greatness

Let us define Greatness

Today Greatness is considered much like the Roman king, King Herrod, this man ruled during the day of Jesus and called himself Great.

He believed he was great for all that he accomplished

He was responsible for large empires, building projects and renovations.

Today Greatness is measured by who we become through our accomplishments and wealth.

There was a man who defined greatness as something different though. In the scripture we read today tells us that Jesus said we had to become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven, to become like children to achieve greatness.

Now to most a child is not great

A child is dependent on others to provide and take care of them,

A child puts themselves in danger and puts themselves in some of the craziest messes.

We have to remember Jesus did not say to become Children but to become like children.

A child knows nothing else but to rely on their parents for provision, and to guide them, to bandage their injuries, to bail them out of trouble and danger, to steer them in the right direction.

Jesus is not telling us to sit in our homes and wait for everything to come to us, he is not telling us to name it and claim it but to become like children and look to God- the creator of the the heavens and the earth- the Father of man.

As a child we are to look to God to provide our every need, to guide us, to give us wisdom in our decisions.

Jesus said that those who made themselves first would be made last and those who made themselves last would be first.

This is a bit of a strange idea that we should become servants to our fellow man to become great.

Jesus took the place of a servant in John 13 and washed the feet of his disciples.

The model of greatness, was a humble man who was a servant, though he is a king and the son of God.

He became a servant to those who followed him.

The model of greatness reached out to the poorest of the poor, he hung out with Men like Zacheus- a tax collector in his day that took more than the required amount for taxes- he was considered an outcast of his culture.

The model of greatness came to the those who were cast out of their homes for horrible contagious diseases and he healed them.

The model of Greatness had a working, active relationship with the creator, with God. He showed us we didn’t have to go through someone great to get to God but we can come to God as we are ourselves to seek a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

English Standard Version Chapter 20

26 jIt shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,3 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,4 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but kto serve, and lto give his life as a ransom for mmany.”

26 Qu’il n’en soit pas ainsi parmi vous. Au contraire : si quelqu’un veut être grand parmi vous, qu’il soit votre serviteur, 27 si quelqu’un veut être le premier parmi vous, qu’il soit votre esclave. 28 Car, de même, le Fils de l’homme n’est pas venu pour se faire servir, mais pour servir et donner sa vie en rançon[a] pour beaucoup.

Jesus modeled that a great man is not what culture deems as great!!