031223-“Kingdom Greatness”...Matthew 20:20-28

Matthew 20:18-19...“Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death. Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, flogged, and crucified, and He will be resurrected on the third day.”

Matthew 20:20-21...“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons approached Jesus with her sons. She knelt down to ask Him for something. ‘What do you want?’ He asked her. ‘Promise,’ she said to Him, ‘that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right and the other on Your left, in Your kingdom.’”

Matthew 20:22-23...“But Jesus answered, ‘You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ ‘We are able,’ they said to Him. He told them, ‘You will indeed drink My cup. But to sit at My right and left is not Mine to give; instead, it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.’”

Matthew 20:24...“When the 10 disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers.”

Matthew 20:25-28...“But Jesus called them over and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life— a ransom for many.’”

Sermon In A Sentence:Greatness as the world defines it is inconsistent with greatness as Jesus defines it.

Jesus Calls It Kingdom Greatness:
-When you stop pursuing personal ambition & vainglory (v.20-23)
-When you reject the world’s leadership style (v.25-26)
-When your value is measured by the people you serve (v.26)
-When you humble yourself & become the world’s slave (v.27)
-When you give up your life to suffer for others (v.28)

Philippians 2:5-7...“Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage. Instead He emptied Himself by assuming the form of a slave”

“God, Make Us Prefer The Hidden Place Of Service Over The Public Place Of Being Noticed” -Scotty Ward Smith