The Road to Significance

Introduction

Opening Story: Some years ago I was offered two free tickets to see some musical which was hardly known at the time. But I hate musicals (either a concert or a play, not both), so I turned it down. Luckily my wife convinced me otherwise, because that musical was Hamilton. I was struck by the sheer volume of his work: Founding father, fought in revolutionary war, architect of constitution, secretary of treasury, built our financial system, wrote 51/85 essays known as the federalist papers. Just an insatiable drive. Where did that come from. Chernow’s biography notes that it came from the shame of his past, and how he hated his immigrant status. So he decided to forge a new identity based on achievement. This is where that came from. He was determined that he was not going to lose his shot, and that he WAS going to make his mark.

Point: That’s all of us. All of us have a drive to matter. We all want to leave our mark. While this isn’t wrong, what does become wrong is when our desire to leave our mark turns into the desire for status, a desire Jesus takes head on in our text.

Connecting to Culture: Right on heels of Matthew 19, where Jesus deals with the feeling of superiority, now it’s seeking superiority. Tell the story in our text as it opens up. Salome, James and John. You can come to God the right way with wrong request. God can tell you know. Jesus never critiques the desire for significance, he does take to task their desire for status. What is status? Dictionary defines it as the position of an individual in relationship to others.

We live in a culture obsessed with worldly status, fame. In 1976 a survey was done which asked people to list their life goals, fame ranked 15 out of 16, by the early 2000s, 51% of young people said fame was one of their top goals. In 2007, middle school girls were asked who they would most like to have dinner with. Jennifer Lopez ranked first, Jesus Christ second and Paris Hilton third. They were then asked what their dream job was. Nearly twice as many said being a celebrity’s assistant than being the president of Harvard. David Brooks concludes, “As I looked around the popular culture I kept finding the same messages everywhere. You are special. Trust yourself. Be true to yourself. Movies from Pixar and Disney are constantly telling children how wonderful they are. Commencement speeches are larded with the same cliches: Follow your passion. Don’t accept limits. Chart your own course. You have a responsibility to do great things because you are great. This is the gospel of self-trust” David Brooks, The Road to Character.

Applications: Our text teaches us that this worldly spirit of status seeking is not just out there, but exists among the people of God. Primary way we see it is a consumer, cruise ship culture prevalent in our churches. Expound...

Jesus offers us a paradigm shifting road to significance. Worldly Significance (upside down pyramid) has “me” at the base, then power, then status. I will determine how I get there, and will use power (Gentiles lord it over) to accomplish status. On the other hand is Kingdom Significance (upside down pyramid) which has Savior at the base, then suffering which leads to servant-leadership which is true significance.

The Road to Significance: Suffering, Matthew 20:21-23

Matthew 20:21–23 ESV

And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

Explanation:

Tell story...”The cup” is destiny in Psalm 16, but is also suffering- Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15-16. We see this in Jesus’ prayer, removal of cup is manner of suffering which is the cross. And we see this with James and John.

Roman Coin Illustration: James and John teach us there’s two kinds of suffering. Some will be like James. Maybe a martyr, intense physical pain, loss of loved one’s. Others more like John, death of dream, long road of faithfulness living a life you didn’t expect and not in a worldly sense in a good way.

Why suffering: Brokenness is a prerequisite to Usefulness.

Glow Stick Illustration: Loved getting these at Six Flags when I was a kid. Capsule inside which causes the light. but had to be broken in order to do it. Brokenness is necessary for usefulness.

Biblical Illustration: Joseph- Coat where’s him, at end he wears coat and goes from pride to humility. Brothers will serve him in the beginning, and he ends up serving them. Difference? Brokenness.

We all will suffer. Don’t need to pray for it. Response is key. Two ways to respond: Woundedness or brokenness. Woundedness happens when we refuse to respond in God’s way. No forgiveness, no faith or trusting in God. Holding onto idols rather than him. Brokenness is responding to suffering by leaning into God. Wounded: Aloof, controlling (fear based), bitter. Me oriented is the result, I have to protect me. Broken: Empathetic, empowering (faith based), better. Others oriented. Broken people fly to people who’ve been suffering.

The Road to Significance: Servant Leadership, Matthew 20:24-27

Matthew 20:24–27 ESV

And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,

Explanation: Tell story…Their request was based off of a common misunderstanding that the Messiah would be a power based political leader who would overthrow Rome. They had not been listening well, he was going to suffer and die on a cross.

Power Based Leadership: Now, what happens when a person has status without suffering and brokenness. Their leadership is primed to be like the Gentiles...”lord it over them” = domineering. “exercise authority over them.” In and of themselves, power and authority are not wrong. How could they be? We see Jesus using both. Power over the demons, and in the great commission he said all authority had been given to him. We are called to use power and authority. But there’s a huge difference between kingdom of heaven and Gentiles. Gentiles/world is power/authority unfettered.

Pills Illustration. Use the right dose it will cure you. Too much of it will harm, if not kill you. Same is true with Power and Authority.

Power based relationships do this. What is power? “The ability to force or coerce someone to do your will, even if they would choose not to, because of your position or might”. Power is not wrong. At times we must exercise. Examples (parents, etc). But what we are getting at is power based. Based out of insecurity. If you’re always telling people you’re a lady, you’re not one, Margaret Thatcher said. And if you have to constantly use power to prove you’re a leader, you’re not one. Power based kills relationships, they take life.

Authority defined: “The skill of getting people to willingly do your will because of your personal influence”. Power is positional, authority is relational. Unfettered authority is manipulation. App- cozie up to another not because they care, but to put them in their debt to later call chips in to get them to do what they want them to do. Manipulation.

Servanthood. So how do we use power and authority the right way? Well, we need a restrictor plate. NASCAR is power on display. They move. However, they don’t have unfettered power, if they did that would harm the car, them and others. They have what’s called a restrictor plate which puts a leash on how fast they can go. Why the restrictor plate? For the good of others.

Servanthood is the restrictor plate. An others orientation that says I am going to do what’s best, not for myself, but for others.

Applications:

Husbands, the bible says our wives should be better people because of our leadership. Eph.5. Assumes restrictor plate of servant-leadership. Right doses.

With kids they’re getting unfettered power/authority without relationship and that equals rebellion.

In church. If I see something I don’t like, i’ll pull a power move and tell you I’m leaving and taking my money with me. Servant leadership says let me jump in and offer to help. Kirk Whalum story.

The Road to Significance: The Savior, Matthew 20:28

Matthew 20:28 ESV

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

Explanation: Tell story. Ransom is the same word used for redemption, it is the idea of setting free. Right now, if you are not a Christian you know what it is like to be in bondage to bad leadership. We call it Satan, sin and idolatry. Satan is called the ruler of this world and he is not a servant leader. He wants to kill, steal and destroy you, going about like a roaring lion. He wants you in bondage to idols like greed, materialism, porn and so on. But Jesus, the ultimate servant leader came to set us free. This is what he means by ransom. How did he come? Not with unfettered power and authority. But as a servant. Quote Philippians 2:5-8. We’ve been set free.

Look at the leadership of Jesus. He suffered. Isaiah 53; I Peter 2. Because of his brokenness he can empathize, Hebrews 4. He took on the form of a servant and washed feet, John 13. He died. And all of this was his others orientation. He was others focused, and life giving. And what happens when we are set free by such a servant leader? Well, it utterly transforms us to be like him and to give our life in service.

Illustration. Dad tells me to get the grass. I tell him I don’t do grass. He asks me if I do tuition? I cut the grass. When you understand someone has paid a price for you, it transforms your behavior. On the cross, Jesus paid our tuition!