Small Steps to Greatness — Keith Malcomson

The Call to True Greatness in Matthew 20

I want you here tonight to turn with me in your Bible to Matthew chapter 20. We're on this series of little things, and here in our next message, we're going to move on. Last week, we dealt with a little member, which is the tongue, and I hope you fulfilled your homework from last week, finishing off that vital chapter.

We didn't have time. But moving on here tonight, my message, I think it's part eight, is small steps to greatness. Reading from Matthew chapter 20, verse 16 through until verse 28. Verse 16. So the last shall be first, and the first shall be last, for many be called, but few chosen.

And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart in the way and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him up to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify him, and the third day he shall rise again.

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshiping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons, some mothers have been changed, have they?

Grant that these two my sons may sit the one on thy right hand and the other on the left in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask? Are ye able to drink of the cup that I drink of, and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with?

They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with. But to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my father.

And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation at the two brethren. And Jesus called them unto him, and he said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercised dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

But it shall not be so among you, but whosoever shall be great among you, let him be your minister. And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant. Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many.

Prayer for an Upside-Down Kingdom

Let's pray together. Father, I thank you, Lord God, that our way of operating is not how the world operates. And Lord God, your ways are not our ways, naturally speaking. And Lord God, you said the first shall be last, the last shall be first, the greatest shall be the least.

The least shall be the greatest. Lord God, you've given us all these instructions. And Father, I pray tonight again, these little commands, these little teachings, these little comments, these little instructions would revolutionize, would turn upside down our entire Christian life, that you might receive of the glory and the honor and the praise in Jesus' mighty name.

Amen. My message, small steps lead to greatness. I hope you realize that tonight, that the pathway to greatness is little steps, not big steps, not notable steps, not remarkable steps. But in fact, if you want to reach true greatness, I mean, greatness as God defines it, as the Bible defines it.

To reach true greatness, you need to follow small, insignificant, almost unnoticed steps. And yet the Bible teaches those small steps are actually the pathway to true greatness in the kingdom of God. It says in Acts chapter 17 and verse 6, reference the believers in Thessalonica.

Remember what we said a week or two ago, how Paul and Silas and Timothy went there to preach the gospel. And they stayed a matter of several weeks or months. And at the end of that time, there was a great riot in the city.

And Paul and his co-workers had to flee for their life. Well, guess what the locals in that city said about these Christians? Listen, Acts 17 and 6, these that have turned the world upside down are come hither also.

Notice that when they looked at Paul, he's only in their community a matter of months. And he is known as a man who turns the world upside down. These three preachers, they're not preaching radical political issues.

They're not marching on the streets against what the government are doing. They're not trying to ban slavery across the empire. They're not doing any of those things. These three men come with the simple gospel of regeneration or the new birth.

The Gospel and the Mission of the Church

They weren't caught up in social action. You say, I'm against slavery. I'm against racism. I'm against abortion. But you don't find me on the high street demonstrating. And in that first century, you do not see the church at the forefront of trying to ban slavery.

The Bible is against slavery. You know what it says? If you can be free, make sure you're free. But no matter how much people try to make the church social action against racism or a social club or charity to reach the power.

I want to tell you that is not the mission of the church. If you move to a social gospel and say, we're here to solve the social issue and the poverty issue and the racial issue. I would actually say you've either swallowed a lie or you've believed a false gospel.

Remember what Jesus said? He said, how do you know the kingdom of God has come? The gospel is preached to the poor. He didn't say we feed the poor. Look at the kingdom demonstrate. He didn't say that.

He said when the gospel is being preached to a poor man, then you know the kingdom of God has come. So in the church, you've got to be very careful. We can actually think it sounds spiritual. We're feeding the poor.

We're against racism. And we are against racism. There won't be any racism here. I can assure you. But you know what? That is not the purpose of the church. That is merely the knock-on effect of the real church being anywhere.

Jesus actually said, the poor you have with you always. That can never, ever be the focus. That problem is going to continue. But we've got to know what the kingdom of God is. You know, the World Economic Forum and the UN and many other social programs care about the poor and care about the racial issue.

Do you realize those institutions? They talk about that a lot. But they do not talk about the new birth and a man's soul. And so in this message tonight, as we look at the small steps to greatness, we see that when the gospel comes anywhere, Paul and his fellow laborers were known as those who turn the world upside down.

When they come to Thessalonica, they weren't demonstrating political causes. They weren't standing outside shops trying to get them closed down. They weren't going and petitioning the government of the local region.

They didn't do any of those things. You know what they're doing? They're preaching the gospel to individuals. And individuals were being radically born again in every area of society. And you know what?

The locals got so disturbed, they're saying, these men turn the whole world upside down. Now look at the definition of the effect of the gospel. It turns the entire world upside down. He who's greatest will be the least.

You want to be first, you will be last. Do you realize the gospel is filled with these comments? If someone asks you to walk a mile, walk two miles. If someone asks for your coat, give them two coats.

And don't ask for it back. The Bible and the teaching of Christ is literally filled with all of these things. Really unusual statements about your Christian life. That if you live out, it's going to be like the world is turned upside down.

I actually believe the teaching of the gospel and the manifestation of the kingdom of God is so contrary to the world out there. That when it is lived, it is very noticeable. You live differently than anyone in your school or your workplace or your family or your house and estate.

You are utterly different. And you know what the turning upside down is? Is that the gospel turns everything around. It's radically different from the flesh or from the things of society. And so this is my message tonight.

I'm going to show you how the real gospel turns everything on its head. Or maybe it turns everything back on its feet and puts it the right way. But I assure you the gospel is radically different than the ways of this world.

Defining True Success in Christian Life and Ministry

And so we deal with the small steps to greatness. I believe the church of this hour, and this is a little teaching, little comments by Christ. And yet it's massive in the church. I believe we have a need to teach in the church the concept of what true greatness is.

What does it mean to be successful in your Christian life? What does it mean to be successful in ministry? I actually think the church is ignorant. In fact, I'm utterly persuaded. When I read the Bible, I know the church of this hour is very ignorant about these things.

They don't know what true success is. They don't know what true riches are. They don't know these concepts. And yet all they do is talk about success and fame and fortune. And even if they don't speak about, they seek it.

We think success is numbers. We think that success is being known. We think that prosperity is having money and having a house and not having any bills. That means you don't understand the gospel and the things Jesus said.

And so I've got five points here that I want to give five small steps to true greatness. And I'm going to define true greatness. And you're going to find it's the upside down kingdom. Someone many years ago talked about the teachings of Christ and called it the upside down kingdom.

Because it's so radically different from what you're raised with, your culture, your family, your natural way of thinking, even as a Christian, it is the upside down kingdom. It is in contrast to this world's kingdom.

Being the Least Through Obedience to Christ's Commands

My first point here tonight, being the least in the kingdom. This is the first step I want to deal with, being the least in the kingdom. I believe this is the way to success. If you're truly going to be successful as a Christian in the kingdom, in the church, you've got to understand what it means to be the least.

If you don't understand that concept, you can't even take a step forward in your Christian life. And this teaching about being the least is used by Christ in different ways to try and get a message to real believers.

Listen to what it says in Matthew chapter 5 and 19. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments. Notice he talks specifically here about the least commandments, the very least. When he talks about least, he's talking about size, place, or dignity.

Or maybe something that you think is less relevant, less important, and it's not at the top of your list. And so Christ picks out the least of all of the commandments. Not the most important, not the most vital, not the greatest commandments.

He pulls out the least commandments. And he says, therefore, if one of you breaks them. And to break means to loosen, to destroy, to set aside, to do away with, or to create a teaching to attack it or a new interpretation.

He says, therefore, if you break one of the least, the very least, the very smallest, the very unnoticed of all of the commandments, the ones that you don't even notice or think about. If you break them or set them aside deliberately and shall teach men so to do, you know what Jesus said?

He shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. You don't want to be this sort of least in the kingdom of heaven, I want to assure you. He's talking about those in the kingdom of God who take commandments and they say that doesn't matter.

We can afford to ignore them. Or they teach others around them and say, oh, that's not for you. Don't worry about that scripture. Don't worry about that teaching. You'll be fine. You know what Jesus says?

You are the least of all in the kingdom of God if you dare do that. But whosoever shall do them the least commandments and teach them the least commandments, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

So notice in this first point what Jesus does in trying to explain to you about being the least in the kingdom of heaven. He said concerning the very least insignificant command, maybe you think it doesn't matter.

Jesus didn't say that. Maybe you think certain things in the Bible that Jesus taught, they don't matter. They're not important. Those are side issues. I want to tell you he's concentrating here on the least command and he's saying if you dare teach others that that doesn't matter, forget about it or creating an interpretation to set it all aside, it's a very dangerous thing.

At best, you are the very least within the kingdom of God. And in other words, in size, you are the very least. You are the last. You are unnoticed. If you treat God's word like that, he will treat you like that.

I promise you. And how you treat the word of God is how God treats you. Can I ask you how you treat the word of God? If you want to get an idea of how God is going to relate to you, just take a minute here to think about how you treat the word of God because your attitude of the word of God is your attitude towards God himself.

Now what least commandments is he talking about? There's three realms of the commandments of God in the Bible. And as we look at the Old Testament, what he was teaching here in Matthew chapter 5, there's three areas of law.

There's the moral law that stretches back to Eden. There's the ceremonial law or the Levitical law that was given to Israel for the priesthood, the commandments about their garments and their worship in the temple and everything else.

There's also national law that was specifically for Israel. Remember the command that says on top of your house, if you have a house and you've got a roof on that house, remember in Israel, it was a flat roof.

That's what it was like. And there's a commandment in this Bible that says, you've actually got to have a fence in round your roof in case anyone falls off. That's not Levitical law and that's not moral law.

That's national law. And I haven't heard many preachers preaching that you've got to make sure that your roof's pennant, but it is wisdom. It is practical wisdom. And so we see that it is the moral law in Matthew 5.

Jesus is dealing with the moral law. Matthew 5 all the way through. And he goes through dealing with the law of God. He deals with issues like murder. He deals with issues like adultery. He deals with issues like an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.

He begins to deal with these things. But listen, he said, they of old in the Old Testament, the prophets of God, they said this, but I say this. Have you noticed that? So in other words, in verse 28, whenever he is saying, they said you're not to commit adultery.

He says, but I say unto you, you're not to look at a woman with lust in your heart. And all the way through the Sermon on the Mount, he is laying out what the law said. And then he is actually saying, I say unto you, this is my teaching.

So in verse 22, he talks about murder. He said, in the law, it says you're not to murder. I say unto you, you're not to get angry with your brother. In verse 39, he talks about those that would take vengeance.

In the law, it said tooth for a tooth. In the law, according to the law, I can take vengeance. That isn't the teaching of Jesus. The law taught clearly, you ought to. They punch you, you can punch them back.

There is a retribution there. And yet Jesus says in verse 39, but I say unto you, turn the other cheek. That's not law, I'm gonna tell you. That is the teaching of Christ. And so he says, if you try to diminish this teaching on lust and anger and turning the other cheek, if you say these are insignificant thing, and there's men in the church who'll take lust and say it's of no consequence.

Oh yes, adultery is sin. I've seen it all through the church. They will get angry over adultery. They will get angry over divorce. Jesus deals with in Matthew 5. And they say, if you're divorced, you're despicable.

You're the least in the kingdom of God if you even get in. Oh, but Jesus doesn't say that. He's dealing with lust. Those same people who are radical over the issue of divorce, they are not radical over lust.

I wonder where they're living. Are they living in Old Testament law? Are they Pharisees? Are they living in the New Testament where we say lust is the issue? You don't hear them. The men who are very stalwart and strong, I would say actually teaching wrong on divorce, they actually don't even take a strong stand on lust of the eye.

And so Jesus said, but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Now look at this. He's saying those that teach the little things, the little teachings of Christ, and who practice them, they will be seen as great.

The little commands, insignificant, like we just mentioned. And if you teach these, you're great. If you try to do away with them and say you don't need to worry about them, you are the very least. What an attitude of heart.

Then it says further in Luke 1, verse 15, speaking about John the Baptist, for he shall be great. Talking about the child, the baby, he shall be great in the sight of the Lord. As God looks upon him, John in the womb of his mother is actually great.

That's how God looks upon him. God considered John as a babe in the womb to be very great. And he shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. And he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

Then listen to what it says in Matthew 11, verse 11. Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there has not risen a greater than John. I'm talking about greatness here, real greatness.

And so Christ himself says, amongst all the men that have ever been born of women, John is the very greatest. There's no greater than him. Then listen to what he adds. Notwithstanding, he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

He's not saying, yous that just scrape into the kingdom of God and are barely in there and don't really do much is greater than John the Baptist. He's not saying that. He's actually now talking about the least in the kingdom of God.

If you really understand the true positive meaning of being the least in the kingdom of God that I'm about to share right now, if you understand that, you are greater than John the Baptist who was at the end of the Old Testament dispensation.

You see, he was part of that Old Covenant. He was the last prophet of that Old Covenant. And we see that the kingdom of God that Christ was bringing in through his sacrifice on the cross, that the least, those who really embody what it means to be the least in the kingdom of God are gonna be far greater than John.

Childlike Humility and Greatness

But I want you to see here for a moment, what does it mean in a positive sense to be the least in the kingdom of God? Jesus says in Matthew chapter 18 and verse one, at the same time came the disciples unto Jesus saying, notice what they say, who, and there's the disciples, Peter and John and James and the rest, who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

They want an answer. Who is? In fact, they wanna know who's the greatest among us in the kingdom of heaven? They want an answer from Jesus. How's Jesus gonna answer that? Is it Peter? Is he the greatest?

Or is it John who can keep his mouth shut? I mean, who is the greatest? And they're standing there saying, tell us master, we wanna know who is the greatest in the kingdom of God. We are your chosen apostles.

We are casting out the demons. We are healing the sick. We are followers of you. Are we the greatest? And Jesus called, how's he gonna answer? Jesus called a little child, notice the word little, little child unto him.

Come here boy. And the little child runs to him. And set him in the midst of them. And said, verily, verily, I say unto you, except ye be converted and become as a little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Three times he has used the word little in reference to the child. In the following two verses, he uses it another two times.

Five times he talks about the little child. He has set the child. You wanna know what true greatness is in the kingdom of God? Do you wanna know it tonight? What does it mean to be great in the kingdom of God?

To have success, to be the embodiment of growing and maturing. Do you know what Christ done? He presented a little child who didn't know his left hand from his right. And he said, there you have an example.

I'm teaching you about greatness. You wanna know who's greatest in the kingdom of God? Look at this little child. Jesus says, except you be converted and become as little children. You know what little children are?

They trust, they lean, they rely upon their father and their mother. They're very simple. They're very innocent. They're very naive. They are followers. They can't look after themselves. I didn't say childish.

Childish is taught against in the Bible. To be childish and stupid and light is actually sinful. You shouldn't be that. But he's saying, unless you be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.

You want a lesson on greatness? Look at that baby at the back of the room. Look at the baby at the back of the room. That is a testimony. Jesus used a little child as an example. Then he goes further.

And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones, which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and that he was drowned in the depth of the sea.

Those who endanger the soul of a child in the church is in grave danger of personal damnation. If you want to say something about greatness in the church, look at the preacher, look at the present preacher, what he thinks of children in relation to people out there who are thought of as great.

The little insignificant unnoticed children, what do you think about them? You see, these are lessons in greatness, but you need to understand who is the least in the kingdom of God. Jesus is teaching them.

Then in Mark 9, verse 33, and he that is Jesus came to Capernaum and being in the house, he asked them, what was it you disputed among yourselves by the way? Of course he knew, but he's asking them. But they held their peace for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest?

What were you talking about? Nothing. Oh, nevermind. We'd rather not say. Isn't it interesting? The top apostles are discussing something. They don't want to even tell Christ what they're discussing. They're saying, who is the greatest among us?

Do you know what's in your flesh here tonight? Greatness, a desire for greatness. Well, I think more highly of myself than I ought to. That's what the Bible says. Do you realize your flesh looks down on others?

I'm better than them. Do you realize all of you in this room at some point have always looked to find someone to look down to say I'm greater than them. Within human nature and the flesh is a tendency to dispute over who's the greatest.

You may never put that on your lips, but it may be concerning your Bible knowledge or your prayer or your spirituality or your uncompromising nature or your understanding of some Bible truth. And you go, surely I'm the greatest in this thing.

Surely I'm better. And even if you're not better than someone else in the church, you'll always find someone to say, I'm excelling in this area above them. And so he asked them, what are you saying? He says again, and he sat down and he called the 12 and said unto him, if any man desire to be first, we're talking about being the least or the greatest.

If any man desire to be first, can I ask you tonight, do you desire to be the first? Because in this scripture, it says it's okay to desire to be the first. It's okay to be. Within your full nature that gets taken and misused.

But he sat down with them. They'd been disputing who's the greatest. And so he says, let's have a little talk. Who here around this table actually desires to be first and the word desires to choose, determine or to make a decision that I would be first.

Do you know what it means to be first? To be the least, to be the greatest? The same shall be. So Jesus has given a definition. Now we're talking about the kingdom of great. What does it mean to be first in the kingdom of God?

So he tells them, the same shall be last of all. There's the kingdom of God. You wanna be first. You desire to be first. You wanna be first. Okay, I'm telling you what it means in God's kingdom. Your flesh, your mind, your experience might tell you what it means to be first.

You may say, I'm gonna be first. I'll work up the ladder in the church. I'm gonna work through ministry. I'm gonna work through things over the years. Really? Can I tell you how to get there and work up the ladder in the church?

Jesus says here, you will be last. Welcome to the kingdom of God. This is the first lesson, first step towards greatness. How do you get towards greatness? You are going to be last. And Jesus adds, and servant of all.

You really wanna be first. You desire to be first. Then I'll tell you in the kingdom of God, you're gonna be last, right at the back of the queue. You're gonna serve everybody else. That's what you're gonna be.

You're gonna be a servant. No, no, no, no. You misunderstood me. I wanna be the master, the teacher, the pastor, the preacher. I wanna be the mature one. I wanna be there sitting with everyone around me and giving out all my wisdom.

Then you'll be the last. You're gonna serve everyone. If you don't do that, then you don't understand greatness in the church. You see, being the last in the kingdom of God is to be first, to be the least in the kingdom of God.

The only way to be the greatest in the kingdom of God is to make sure you're the least in the kingdom of God. You wanna be the greatest in this church. Can I tell you how? The first step is to be the least in this church.

You say, how do I go about that? Read the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are all very, very clear. And again, we read in these scriptures that he took a child and set him in the midst. And when they had taken him in his arms, he said unto him, whosoever shall receive one of these children in my name, receiveth me.

Whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me. This is straight after telling them how to be great. Do you realize greatness in the kingdom of God is connected to these children that run around us? Do you know children?

I've never treated as children. I go, that's a fully function. I know as a child, I understood everything going on around me. I understood more at eight years old than some Christians at 40 years old.

I can assure you, I understood an awful lot. Jesus says in Luke 9, and there arose a reasoning among them, which of them should be the greatest? And Jesus, perceiving the thoughts of their heart, took a child and set him by him and said unto him, whosoever shall receive this child in my name, receiveth me.

And whosoever receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me. For he that is least among you, the same shall be great. If you receive a child in the name of a child in Christ, in other words, every child in this church, you're treating them like you would Christ.

This is radical. This is basic Christian teaching. And you know what? It's gonna mark you out in this church, whether you're great or whether you're the least. That's my first point. I've got another four.

These are the basic teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Small steps to greatness. What's the first one? To be the least, to be the last, to demonstrate it. Number two, being the last in the kingdom, the least in the kingdom, now the last in the kingdom.

Being Last and Forsaking All for Christ

Matthew 19, 27. Then answered Peter and said unto him, behold, we have forsaken all and followed you. And what shall we have there for? And Jesus answered him and said unto him, that ye which have followed me now in the regeneration, when the son of man shall sit on his throne of glory, the regeneration is the changing of everything.

When Jesus comes back again, that's what the regeneration is. Ye also, speaking to the apostles who followed him, who'd forsaken all. He says, you apostles, when I appear on my throne, you shall sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

And every one that hath forsaken homes, our brethren, our sisters, our father, our mother, our wife, our children, our lands, for my sakes shall receive a hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life.

Listen to this last scripture. Look what he's talking about. But many that are first shall be last. And the last shall be first. So we see the first great lesson is being the least, the most unnoticed, doing the most insignificant things.

But here again, we see Christ teaching the apostles that being last in the kingdom. What does it mean to be last? Because you know what he says? People are going to get a big shock when you come into the kingdom of God.

In this world, the first are the first and the last are the last. But when you come over into the kingdom of God, that which would seem to make you the first, suddenly it gets turned on its head. It's the upside down kingdom.

And suddenly you thinking that you're first in the kingdom of God, according to the teaching of Jesus, you could find yourself last if you're not careful. In your natural mind, you could think I'm first, I'm fine, I'm okay.

But when you test it with Christ teaching, you suddenly find out you're right at the back of an awful long line. And that's why Jesus says, many that are first shall be last. And those that are last, there's people who seem to be last, but because of the teaching of the kingdom of God, actually how God looks at them, he says, no, they're the first.

You think they're back of the queue, they're right at the front. You think you're at the front of the queue, no, you're right at the back. Now notice the context of this for a minute. In Matthew 19, 27, it says, then answered Peter.

What's the context of this teaching? Understand the first shall be last, and I shall be first. What is he saying here? Well, look at the context. Then Peter said, what about us? What about us? The word then means, look back to what he just said.

What had just been in Matthew 19? It's the incident with the rich young ruler. Remember the rich young ruler who comes says, I keep all the commandments. Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life?

And he was very zealous. He runs to Jesus and Jesus says, keep the commandments. He said, oh, I keep them all. He says, hmm, good on you. Well done. So it's just one thing, just one thing. Go sell all that you have, give to the poor, then come follow me.

Just that one thing. Just one small, tiny thing. And you know what? He turned around and he walked off. Jesus is saying, you've got to forsake all to follow me. If there's anything in your life that you refuse to forsake, it could damn your soul.

It's very dangerous. You better treat it like fire. It's no problem having things. You know, in the Bible, it's no problem being rich. It's no problem having a house or a car or a wife. No problem having a good job or having money or having holidays.

But you better make sure they don't have you. All of these things. You see, the rich young ruler had just walked off. Peter steps up and then said, what about us? What are we going to get? After all, we've forsaken everything.

We have followed you. We have left everything behind and we're out here preaching the gospel. What about us? What are we going to get? What does Jesus say? If whatever you've forsaken, you're going to get rewarded for.

If you've left family, if you've left friends, if you've left homes, if you've forsaken or lost things because of the gospel, you're going to get them back a hundred fold. It's a remarkable thing. And you are going to get eternal life.

What's this got to do with being first and being last? What you're going to see in a minute. Notice as well in verse 28, he says, ye also, you 12 shall sit upon 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

He's saying, look at Israel right up to this point. They're the ones with power. The 12 sons of Jacob, the 12 tribes of Israel. But do you know what? Everything's getting turned on its head now. You new 12 apostles are going to sit on thrones judging the entirety of Israel.

You see these 12 ignorant fishermen, tax collectors, zealots who have been saved, not trained in Levitical ministry. You know what? They're going to sit and judge the entire nation of Israel. This in part answers, what does it mean?