"My opponents are like postage stamps, they're always gettin' licked" Muhammad Ali

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1 Introduction "I Am The Greatest" "My face is so pretty, you don't see a scar, which proves I'm the king of the ring by far" "I have wrestled with an alligator. I have tussled with a whale. I have handcuffed lightning and thrown thunder into jail" "My opponents are like postage stamps, they're always gettin' licked" Muhammad Ali In Luke s gospel Jesus has demonstrated and modeled greatness in the Kingdom of God. Jesus has told His disciples that greatness involves humility, honesty, and forgiveness. Greatness in His Kingdom consists of service and sacrifice. This passage of Scripture presents us with a challenge and a choice. The challenge is what has the gospel made you? What kind of man or woman of God are you? Are the words of Jesus empty words to you? Over and over again Jesus has challenged us to deny self, sacrifice and serve. The choice is do we serve self or the Lord? Do we serve self-interests, self-advantages, self-fulfillment? This is the religious mantra of a generation totally absorbed with self! What is God s best and highest for you? What would you rather do? Would you rather leave God cleave to your own selfish ambitions in order to advance self? Or will you follow Jesus-both his example and his words. Do you long for personal holiness in your life, do you desire to serve, are you willing to sacrifice in order to share in Christ s character? Two choices results in two hearts one selfish the other selfless; the selfish heart or the servant s heart. Those are the options and the choices. What have you chosen in the past? What are you choosing in the present? What are you willing to chose in the future? Warren Wiersbe gave one the most practical definitions of ministry. He wrote; Ministry takes place when divine resources meet human needs. In ministry, we re called to live for others. Ministry is not just another way of making a living; it s a wonderful opportunity for making a life (On Being A Servant of God; p.9). The Disciples Dispute Over Position (v.24) 24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. The word dispute or strife is the Greek word philoneikia. The prefix philo means love and the suffix neikia is strife. 1

2 We have an expression in our language, hankering for a fight. The word probably means loves to argue. Here the meaning is ready and eager to fight. The idea is to give no ground, make no concession; of standing up no matter what, of being stubborn, of resisting in spite of the circumstances. The disciples are gathered around the holiday feast, the disciples are there to celebrate God s power to deliver. Jesus has just informed them that the meal represents his upcoming sacrifice. The disciples minds and hearts and attitude were still firmly fixed in this world. They were still thinking about an earthly kingdom. They still believed Jesus was about to lead an uprising, a revolt against the most powerful kingdom on the earth. The disciples were in the room jockeying for position, trying to fill the earthly cabinet of Christ s new kingdom! If Jesus is King who will be the assistant to the King? In Matthew s gospel (chapter 20:20-28) the mother of James and John approach Jesus and ask Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom (v.21b). and when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. In the ancient world the position of honor or authority was at the right hand of the host or the left hand of the host. In our world when we watch the President speak we sometimes glance who is the person standing next to the President? Since Jesus is about to set up his kingdom, the disciples thought, now is the time to jump in and fight for position. Now was the time to assume the seats of honor. Human nature has not changed. In our own culture pride and self-esteem have come to be redefined not as sin but virtue. And not just virtue but the supreme virtue. Even the Church is plagued by programs designed to insure self-promotion and success. Books seminars, conferences, magazines and organizations devoted to self-help and selfpromotion. The movement has found little resistance in the Church, which often seems determined to beat the world at its own game. From countless sources, claims are heard that God s designs for His people are health, success, happiness and self-fulfillment. The Bible s teaching of service, sacrifice, suffering, cross-bearing for Christ s sake are either ignored altogether or foolishly explained away (see John MacArthur s comments in his commentary on Matthew in the section Matt.20:17-28). Walter Savage Landor said it best; When little men cast long shadows, it is a sign that the sun is setting. The sun was setting and Jesus was about to die. If ever there was a time to for character it was now. 2

3 The Servant Heart of God asks the question; Where do I want to serve? In God s service or self service? With a view towards this world or a view towards the next. I suspect there is a desire to give what you can t keep to gain what you can t lose. This World s Disposition Over Position (v.25) 25 And He said to them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. At the foundation of ministry is character. Any tool that God can use to build character is an investment in ministry. Jesus had taken time and made an investment in these disciples. Our lives are God s tools and weapons, and we must be at our best if He is to get the work done and the battle won! The verb exercise lordship (kyrieuo) could be translated lord it over which is the characteristic attititude of unchristian rulers. Kids love to say, you re not my boss. The word benefactor only occurs here in the Greek New Testament but was a very common word in the Greek world of the first century. The word is euergetes. The Egyptian and Syrian rulers adopted the title benefactor and placed the title next to their names on their coins (Antiochus VII; Ptolemy III). Augustus, and Nero, the princes and the rulers loved to have the title Benefactor. A benefactor was a person who wanted to be known as one who gives and helps others. Jesus says they are called benefactors. The benefactor wants to be known and called benefactor. They want the world to know just how generous they are they want to be recognized and honored for their help and their contribution. The benefactor wants to be known as a great man, a person who is generous thoughtful, sacrificial. Brought to you by... The Servant Heart of God desires the chief servant to be in charge Jesus. The Servant s Design For The Servant s Heart (vv.26-30) 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. Jesus rejects this world s view of greatness. The followers of Jesus must reject this world s standards of greatness and embrace Christ s view of greatness. Jesus reminds the disciples that the place of honor comes in part from the disciples willingness to abandon this world s definition of greatness and to embrace Jesus view of greatness. 3

4 Jesus says he who is greatest among you implies a godly ambition rooted in selflessness and service. Do you long for approval? Do you want to hear someone you love and respect say, well done good job. What is that you want? Do you want wealth, influence, pleasure? Are you prepared to ask the question What does Jesus want from me? In the mind of Jesus true greatness does not consist in being in charge, holding authority, lording it over people. True greatness does not seek position for the sake of authority; for the purpose of having and wielding power, or of accumulating resources and giving them away so you can have the title benefactor. Whatever true greatness is it is not self-centered and selfish or worldly minded. When Jesus says he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger ; What does He mean? How many of you have older brothers or sisters? The younger means you get what s left or you get what s last. The youngest takes the last seat available. In the ancient world, the younger always gave way to the older. The older person was the honored person. Jesus is not suggesting that the older is greater or the younger is greater, rather the greatest person seeks the lowest seat, the last position, the last station; does not seek recognition and honor, credit and esteem, because he or she holds some position or does some special work or makes an unusual gift or gives extraordinary help! To be the younger means to embrace the notion that attitude of being the least important! "But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, Friend, go up higher. Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you." (Luke 14:10, NKJV) "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (Romans 12:3, NKJV) Jesus says, he who governs as he who serves (here serves diakonon) which means to serve others. The nature of ministry is service. In the Roman Empire there would have been a glut of slaves by some estimates 60 million slaves. When Jesus presented the radical idea that the only way to lead was serve even the disciples had a hard time swallowing. We are to act as servants. The chief person is to serve. The greatest serves, like a table waiter serves guests at a banquet. The table waiter in the first century was a doulos, a bond-slave. The bond-slave lived every moment of his life, serving, always serving, no matter the hour, no matter the call, no matter the difficulty. 4

5 The Servant Heart of God understands that those who desire to lead must first desire to serve. "After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded." (John 13:5, NKJV) "For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves." (Luke 22:27, NKJV) Jesus further illustrates the divide between the stinking thinking of this world and the standard of greatness in the Kingdom of God. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. " (Mark 10:45, NKJV) I thought the person sitting at the table held higher honor than the person serving the table. Yes but the person is not to act that way we are to behave like the Lord. If the nature of ministry is service, the motive for ministry is love. and to give His life a ransom for many. 28 But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. The Lord Jesus encourages us to serve faithfully and to serve in spite of hardship and pain. We must cultivate love anyone who goes into ministry for any other reason is destined for defeat and disappointment. If the nature of ministry is service and the motive for ministry is love the measure of ministry is sacrifice. John Henry Jowett used to say; Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing. Sacrifice and service only go together if you have a servant s heart. Jesus praises the disciples for their willingness to be with Him in the pressures and the trials. If we are think Jesus had a problem free ministry we are mistaken! The word that Jesus uses for trials is the Greek word peirasmois. It is the same term used of Jesus temptation in the wilderness by Satan (Luke 4:2). Jesus in effect is reminding the disciples that sacrifices made now are investments in your future in ministry and forever! The statement of praise may seem odd when we consider the disciples will panic and flee, one will betray him, one will deny him, all will forsake him but in the end they will return and remain faithful. Who is rewarded? Look at verse 28; you are those who have continued with Me in My trials. 5

6 In a sense Jesus is the ultimate treasure, He is our great reward. 29 And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, The word bestow means appoint the idea being God has set an appointment fixed in eternity. The appointment cannot be changed or revoked in any fashion or form. The word bestow carries the idea of a contract or a covenant an agreement that places the accent on the binding nature of the promise of Jesus. 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The faithful disciple will be a citizen in the future kingdom. The faithful disciple will rule. "Where the tribes go up, The tribes of the Lord, To the Testimony of Israel, To give thanks to the name of the Lord. For thrones are set there for judgment, The thrones of the house of David. " (Psalm 122:4-5, NKJV) In Daniel s vision in chapter 7:9-14 Daniel writes I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow and in verse 13; I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a Kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed. When will this happen? Jesus said, you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom. The Kingdom has not yet come. They will rule in the regeneration when the new order of things shall be set up. There are two possible answers: either in the millennial reign of Christ or the new heavens and the new earth (Rev.21:1). "So Jesus said to them, Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Matthew 19:28, NKJV) Conclusion Who or what is your model for ministry? The model for ministry is Jesus. If Jesus is the model for ministry; if the nature of ministry is service and the motive for ministry is love the measure of ministry is sacrifice and the authority for ministry is submission. 6

7 Jesus submits to His Father s will. Joshua was Moses servant before he was Moses successor. David served before David reigned. No one no one should exercise authority who has not first learned to submit to authority. That my friends is the difference between leadership and dictatorship. Every leader must serve and ought to serve if for no other reason that to give an account to others for every leader will give an account to God. The evidence of submission is faithfulness. Max Lucado in his book; Angel s Silent makes these comments on Jesus service and sacrifice; He is the general who takes responsibility for the soldier s mistakes. He didn t just assume the blame, he seized the sin! He became the ransom. He is the General who dies in the place of the private, the King who suffers for the peasant, the master who sacrifices for the servant. As a young boy, I read a Russian fable about a master and a servant who went on a journey to a city. Many of the details I have forgotten, but the ending I remember. Before the two men could reach the destination they were caught in a blinding blizzard. They lost their direction and were unable to reach the city before nightfall. The next morning, concerned friends went searching for the two men. They finally found the master frozen to death, face down in the snow. When they lifted him up they found the servant cold but alive. He survived and told how the master had voluntarily placed himself on top of the servant so the servant could live. Jesus is the Master who dies for his servants. He was and is the Ideal servant. His pattern for greatness remains the same in every generation. Humility, service and sacrifice. Most of us hesitate to follow the pattern of discipleship because we fear pain, suffering, and we embrace self-serving interests. The purpose of ministry is to glorify God and the tools of ministry are the word of God and prayer to God. The privilege of ministry is growth; and the power of the ministry is the Holy Spirit. 7