Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

There’s a clever young guy named Somebody Else.

There’s nothing this guy can’t do.

He’s busy from morning to way late at night just substituting for you.

You’re asked to do this or you’re asked to do that and what is your ready reply?

Get Somebody Else to do that job; he’ll do it much better than I.

So much to do in this weary old world—so much and workers are few.

Somebody Else, all weary and worn, is still substituting for you.

The next time you’re asked to do something worthwhile, just give this ready reply: “If Somebody Else can give time and support, my goodness, so can I.”

Stop giving Somebody Else your job.

Become a servant and watch what God will do for you, because He can also do it through you.

You will discover it really is more blessed to give than to receive.

What kind of servant are you?

One aspect of the life of Christ that is often given attention but still seemingly neglected is the aspect of his service

Service was the heart of all of the things that Jesus did

He could not please the Father without serving

He could not be great as we know him, without serving

Jesus served, it was literally the foundation to the life that He lived that resulted in the redemption of sinful man

And the obvious correlation to walking as Jesus walked is the correlation of service

Those who claim to be followers of Christ can not follow him apart from service

To not serve, but to claim to follow Jesus is akin to claiming to fly and not having wings

It isn’t plausible

I would submit this morning that there is a relationship between serving and greatness

Not because it sounds good, but because it is what we see Jesus teach

To be a servant is to be great, and to be great is to be a servant

The are two sides of the same coin

All followers of Christ are called to serve, not in the same capacity, but to serve

And this call to service as a follower of Jesus comes on the heels of a request by two of Jesus closest companions James and John

Jesus’ Dialogue with the two (vs.35-40)

Explanation

Jesus’ Dialogue with the two (vs.35-40)

Dig into the selected text:

The dialogue begins with a request by James and John

To be great

To sit in the seat at the right hand and the left hand of Jesus was to sit in a seat of authority and power

It was a seat of significance

Their request is significant too if you think about it and it is revealing of their hearts, isn’t it?

These two men are trying to beat the other men to the punch of acquiring the power of sit at the right and left of Jesus

They are concerned with their role and their significance in the events that were set to unfold

And so they seek Jesus’ approval to be the primary ones who serve side by side with him

Jesus responds to the two

“You do not know what you are asking”

And then he poses a couple of questions to them pertaining to their request

Jesus knew what they didn’t know

That He was not there to set up an earthly kingdom but to be a sacrifice for the purpose of redeeming sinful man

The cup he was to drink was the wrath of God when he was baptized under the judgment of God

In the OT the picture that being under water revealed was that of being surrounded by calamity and destruction

And for Christ the calamity that he was set to face was bearing the burden of God’s wrath in his sufferings and eventual death

The dialogue continues as the two insist that they are able to do just as Jesus does

They are ready to fight alongside Jesus in the battle aren’t they

Only they don’t get the reality of the situation, Jesus was not setting up an earthly Kingdom

He was establishing a spiritual kingdom through His life, death, and resurrection

The dialogue ends with Jesus answering their question

So after all that, Jesus tells the two men that not only will they suffer a similar fate as He does, but that the request to be seated at the right and left hand of Jesus is not for Jesus to grant

But what is interesting about these two particular men asking this question and Jesus responding by telling them that they will suffer is not only did they suffer as Christ told them, but just a fact about it is James was the first martyr for Christ and John was the last apostle to die after being tortured and left for dead on the island of patmos

Illustration

Illustrate your point:

Selfishness is the opposite of greatness

No selfish person can be great in the kingdom of God

If the kingdom of God is being built up by people who like James and John are more concerned with their own greatness than the greatness of Christ or others, then God’s Kingdom is not being built

Today, in the church we must understand what is at stake

The church today can not function if it is being built by individuals who like James and John pursue their own greatness or that pursue nothing at all

What best equips the church to reach the lost?

Serving others

What best enables the church to grow those who make up the body?

Serving others

We must seek not our own good and glory, but others

Jesus’ Dialogue with the twelve (vs.41-44)

Explanation

Jesus’ Dialogue with the twelve (vs.41-44)

Dig into the selected text:

Jesus senses the rising disunity among the 12 and seizes the opportunity to jump in and teach the disciples about true greatness

And he actually does so from a negative example

The example of what greatness is according to the world, or another way to put it is that he teaches was greatness is not

Jesus teaches on true greatness

Gentile Model

Ruler

A Position of leadership

Title does not make one a leader

Lord Over

A Position of power

Giving orders does not make one a leader

Those who are great

A Position of Prestige is leadership

Fame does not make one a leader

Exercise Authority

A Position of Privilege is leadership

Having rank does not make one a leader

Jesus Exhorts the Disciples

“It shall not be so among you”

Jesus teaches on true greatness

“Whoever would be great among you must be your servant”

Servant-diakanos

one who voluntarily renders useful service to others

“Whoever would be first among you must be slave of all”

Slave-doulos

one who forfeits his own rights in order to serve any and all

Illustration

Illustrate your point:

Jesus very clearly calls his disciples to not think of greatness in terms of how the world defines it, but instead gives them something better