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There are many different temptations that one may fall into in this fallen world.
What is interesting about temptations is that they vary from person to person?
Impulse shopping is something that I don't have a problem with.
There's really no temptation that is there.
But.
Having two ice cream cones back -to -back is a temptation that I have that I have to be aware of in my life.
We are tempted by different things because we're different people with different personalities
and different cravings.
For some people the desire to have power is the greatest temptation.
People want to make something of themselves.
People want to be great.
So thrusting oneself into a position of power is the path to this.
Two.
Temptations that go with a desire for power our desire for fame and fortune.
This desire for power is not something that just happens in the secular world.
It also happens sadly within Christianity.
People use religion to have power.
There are pastors College and seminary presidents and leaders of parachurch
organizations who are in those positions because they desire to have power and The fame and fortune that
often go with it.
The temptation is strong to be in charge to control to tell people what to
do to have a prestigious title and receive perks that go with the position.
The temptation to be in this position and to hold on to this position is very strong.
Some people don't have this temptation, but others do.
To those who do have it. It's very dangerous very dangerous.
Because many many people can be harmed with this lust for power.
God has great designs for leaders and these designs are always a blessing for those in their
care.
A Good leader who has power uses his power for good.
But a bad leader does the opposite.
He uses his power to benefit himself.
To give himself more control to step on others in or in the process in order to
benefit himself.
When this happens many people are harmed not just a few but many.
The temptation to control is strong to get what you want to make a name for yourself to enrich
oneself.
And so this person harms others as he leads and the one who does this is more than willing to harm
others to get what he wants.
Inevitably what happens is an environment that has corruption that
is full of.
Corruption I.
Heard someone talking this week who said that this one leader he described his leadership style as he's like a mob of us.
He'll put you in these positions.
To get you to do what he wants you to do.
That happens.
For the person to hold on to this position to get what he wants.
He needs to do backroom deals.
Intimidate those against him and use manipulation to get others to help move forward his corrupt
agenda.
What I just described is very common in our world and even within Christianity the last place
that should be seen.
To live for power to use power in the wrong way is the exact opposite of how the God
-man Jesus was.
The exact opposite of how he lived.
Jesus is the God -man.
He had power.
Far more power than any person in human history, but he always used this position.
Given by his father for the betterment of others.
This morning as we continue our sermon series through Matthew We are going to see Jesus tell the twelve what true greatness looks
like and it is much different from how the self Advancing world views greatness.
So this time I encourage you to turn in the Bible with me to Matthew chapter 20.
We'll be looking at verses 24 through 28.
And if you see one of those red Bibles is on page 981 and This sermon is titled how
to be great.
How to be great.
And we will begin by reading the text Matthew chapter 20 verses 24 through 28.
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 servants and whoever would be first among you must be your
slave.
Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as
a ransom for many.
Here's our big idea.
Understand that Jesus calls his disciples to pursue true greatness.
Understand That Jesus calls his disciples to pursue true
Greatness and in this text we will see two practices.
How but before we jump in.
Let me give you a little recap of where we were one Sunday ago in verses 20 through 23 of Matthew 20 in
That narrative we saw two of Jesus disciples the sons of Zebedee James and John.
Asked Jesus along with their mother if these two brothers could sit at the
highest seats in the future kingdom and Jesus response to them is interesting.
He responds by describing his suffering.
Specifically the spiritual suffering that he would face.
When he would bear the full fury of the wrath of God when he went to the cross.
He says that he would drink the cup of his father to pay the penalty for our sins.
So he describes his suffering.
But then he transitions to his disciples and tells them that you will drink the cup.
But the suffering that they will experience is different than the suffering that he will experience.
The suffering that they will experience is a suffering of opposition.
Of course, Jesus faced a ton of opposition in his life.
But obviously his disciples did not face the father's wrath.
But he describes their suffering of opposition that they will face as
They go and walk with him.
He says you will drink the cup.
You will face opposition.
Before you get the crown where you sit at his right or left hand if they would even achieve
that in the future kingdom.
Before they would receive the crown.
They must first suffer and This is the truth for all the disciples.
Every Christian in some sense and at some level Will experience pushback in this life
as we saw all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
The cross comes before the crown.
That was what we learned last Sunday.
Now this leads us back to our text this morning that we've already read.
But now we will zero in on and I'm gonna begin by zeroing in on verse 24.
Where we read again that the ten heard It and they were indignant at the two
brothers.
What we learned in this verse is that the other ten disciples were around as Jesus was having this conversation.
That I just explained to you where they're saying can we sit at your right and left hand in the future kingdom?
The disciples are there in verse 24 tells us
That they're listening to this conversation and they tell us what they think of this conversation.
They are indignant.
The Greek word translated indignant also means to be displeased or very angry.
The ten hair here what James and John are saying and they see their great ambitions.
Their ambition leads them to desire honor in the highest places in the future kingdom.
But as we look at this, we must understand that this is not righteous anger.
Sometimes we say the word indignation righteous indignation.
This is not righteous anger from the other ten disciples.
We learn this from the rest of the narrative that we've already read where Jesus addresses not only in James and John.
But also the other ten as well.
So this indignation this anger from the ten is not noble.
They themselves want to be at Christ's right and left hand in his future kingdom just as James and
John have this desire is.
All twelve of the disciples have this selfish ambition.
Jesus addresses them in the remaining verses.
He responds by telling them about the corrupt leadership that they see in their world in the first
century.
He says this.
Jesus calls them to him.
You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their great ones.
Exercise authority over them.
You can imagine this picture.
Jesus calls the disciples over and says to them, you know the
Authoritarianism of the world around you, you know, the corrupt government that loves power
and likes to take advantage of others.
This is what he is warning them against.
The disciples like all the Jews in the first century lived in the days of the Emperors.
For centuries Rome was a republic, but that was taken over by an empire in the first century
BC.
The first Roman Emperor of Rome anybody know Caesar Augustus
he reigned from 27 BC to ad -14.
Tiberius Caesar reigned after him from ad -14 to ad -37 as
Jesus is having this conversation.
Tiberius Caesar is the one who reigns over the Roman Emperor Empire.
Jesus is telling them this conversation here in 33 AD.
Now the Roman Empire was the region of modern Europe and This region spread down to the
region of Judea where the Jews called home.
I just mentioned that before the Roman Empire was the Roman Republic in this fallen world of a
Republic is always better than an empire because if one person rules if you get the
wrong person in power it is terror for the people as
Proverbs 29 to says when the wicked rule the people groan.
Dictatorships in this fallen world are terrifying.
The ruler might make some common -sense laws that benefit the people but many of his laws will be destructive.
As I mentioned in the introduction a person who loves power will use that power for harm and not for good.
In The history of the Roman Empire they had some decent emperors and some who were
probably possessed by Satan.
That's not an understatement.
Nero.
Killed many many Christians.
Including by the way the Apostles Peter and Paul.
Who died under his reign Augustus and Tiberius were fairly moderate compared to a man like Nero?
But during the day of the disciples as they sat under the rule of the Romans.
The governor of their region in Judea was a man by the name of Pontius Pilate.
That's the name that every Christian knows.
We mostly know Pilate as the one who sentenced Jesus to death from the pressure of the Jewish leaders.
As you look at the narrative you can you can.
You can get you get the picture that Pilate is this weak politician and.
The reason we get this picture is because the Jews are pressuring him.
The Jews are pressuring him.
And he's like I don't want to put this guy to death.
I don't see a problem with him.
He hasn't done anything wrong.
Why would I put him to death?
But eventually he folds to their pressure and
Jesus is delivered over to be crucified.
Pilate did not want them the Jewish leaders.
That is.
To report back to the Emperor about how chaotic Pilate had let things get in that region
because all of these people are following this rabbi from Nazareth named Jesus.
The crowds are following him wherever he goes.
Pilate is not controlling his region very well, is he?
There's this friction between the Jewish leaders and Jesus.
Those who follow the Jewish leaders those who follow Jesus and Pilate had a
superior to answer to and he had to make the most influential people in
this region happy and.
The most influential ones were the chief priests and scribes.
But taking away the Jesus narrative Pilate had no problem being
ruthless to the people he governed.
We know this from another place in the New Testament that shows this Gentile leader was one who lorded it over his
people.
This account is recorded in Luke 13 1 where the author Luke writes.
There were some present at that very time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood
Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.
Okay, so that people are bringing their sacrifices to the temple and Pilate slaughters these people and he
takes the sacrifices and they're burned on the altar together.
Pilate did that.
The point I'm making is that the Jews suffered under the leadership of the Gentiles and.
This episode from Pontius Pilate shows this.
This is how people ruled.
They didn't rule for the betterment of the people.
They ruled because they wanted power.
Their agenda was supreme and if you got in their way Problems would happen.
The disciples also would have known about the Maccabean revolt in the 2nd century BC where the leader
Antiochus Epiphanes slaughtered many many Jews.
What the disciples knew about the Gentiles is that their leaders the ones they had to live under at this point in history and
the Ones they knew about from history were not leaders.
You wanted to be under.
They were not leaders who created an environment where people would prosper.
By the way, that's that's a leader in a nutshell.
People in leadership are supposed to be there to create an environment where the people can prosper.
And if that's not happening the person should not be in leadership.
And as you think about biblical Christians in America right now, we are not seen as a blessing to
society.
But a hindrance it's interesting that in the history of our country We're a
tax -exempt.
Entity.
And the reason churches are tax -exempt is because we're seen as a blessing to society.
Historically, we've been seen as a blessing to society, you know.
People go to church.
They're typically good citizens, right?
They're good neighbors.
They do good things.
The overall.
Society benefits from that but what we're seeing right now is that we're not seen
as a blessing to society because the the world's agenda is the opposite of Christ's
This utopia that's trying to be pushed forward is against what we believe as
Christians, of course and.
And the leaders that the disciples lived under and many of the leaders in our day do not like Republics.
Republics.
Exist.
To help the people right?
What does America government.
A government of the people.
By the people?
For the people.
Republics put people in office to represent Their people
that that's the whole point of them.
Right people want a good society.
That is a moral society.
So they send someone to Washington or they send someone to their state capital to To
govern in such a way where the people will benefit where there will be structure where there will be blessing.
But this so often does not happen.
Throughout our hit throughout the history of the world dictatorships happen because people want power.
People don't understand leadership in this way where the people are blessed by their leadership.
They want to control they want to Do whatever they want to do.
This is what we see in our world.
But to follow Christ is much different.
What Jesus is telling his disciples is an unhealthy ambition to be in
high places.
Leadership is not the way of Christ.
Remember the disciples want to be at Christ right and left hand in the future kingdom.
And he notices this unhealthy ambition in their hearts.
By the way, the disciples are nowhere near as bad as These Gentile politicians that he's
worrying them about but he's saying you have an element of that in your heart right now that you need to
rid yourself of.
This desire this unhealthy desire to be at his right and left hand in his kingdom and
Thinking that they should be in those positions because there's something great about them.
That's how the Gentiles work.
The disciples at this point in their immature walk with the Lord.
Desire to promote themselves to say look at me.
Look how important I am.
Look at the power I have to tell people what to do.
And what Jesus is telling the disciples is that a selfish ambition for leadership and power
Is what the Gentiles do and those who have this ambition will not rule for the good of the people but for one's own
good.
Now not everyone who desires leadership in a secular world But has this motivation but more times than
not that is the motivation.
That's just the reality of it.
But what Jesus is saying is that to be his disciple is to be different from the world
self -advancement.
For the glory of self is not God's will for any of his people.
Anyone who follows King Jesus must humble oneself as John the Baptist said in John 30.
Sorry, not John 30.
That's a new chapter.
Anybody read John 30.
John chapter 3 verse 30.
He must increase but I must decrease.
God tells us what leaders are supposed to look like in the New Testament within the Church of God.
God calls men To be elders within the church and it we see what
God desires for a leader to look like first.
Peter chapter 5 verses 2 and 3 says that Every shepherd must shepherd the flock
of God that is among you exercising oversight not under compulsion.
But willingly as God would have you not for shameful gain.
But eagerly not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
God calls shepherds Not to use their position to advance oneself or one's own glory.
But to humble oneself and to lead creating an environment where the people under
their care can flourish as John the
Baptist said.
The whole point of a pastor or any Christian who's in leadership is is for the glory of
God.
That God would be glorified.
That he would be glorified through the way that you lead.
That people would see the example of Christ in your leadership as as John the Baptist said he must increase but
I must decrease and This should be the goal not only of every pastor, but every
Christian.
No Christian Should ever desire to elevate oneself robbing God of his
glory.
Selfish ambition is not God's plan for believers.
The people of the world desired to achieve Self -advancement to have more power to control
others to be well known to enrich oneself.
These are sinful patterns everywhere, and it's not just those in high positions That have
this temptation.
Think about the person who manipulates others to get what you want.
Think about the person who steps on others to advance oneself in the eyes of the world.
This happens in schools by the way with popularity contests.
This happens in workplaces with with middle management.
This happens all over the place.
Where people try to advance oneself in the eyes of others to promote oneself?
This is this is a desire that lots of people can have a temptation for.
But Jesus calls his people to a better way.
And we'll see that in the remaining verses here.
That what the true way of greatness is but here's the first point.
Understand that Jesus calls his disciples to true greatness and the first practice.
How is by refusing to elevate oneself like the world?
Refusing to elevate oneself like the world.
And here's our second practice how you were to understand that Jesus calls his disciples to true greatness, and that is this
by pursuing a life of service to others.
Pursuing a life of service to others and we'll see this in the second half of verse 26 through verse
28.
Jesus makes it clear What he expects his design his disciples to be.
He says this in the second half of verse 26 and 27 whoever would be great among you
must be your Servant and whoever would be first among you
must be your slave.
Now what you will notice in these two verses is that Jesus says that a Christian must be a servant and a
Two different Greek words are being used here.
At the end of verse 26 is the Greek word for a servant and at the end of verse 27 is the Greek word
for slave or bond servant.
Those who are called servants in the first century were those who held the lowest position in society as
they performed unglamorous tasks for others.
The other Greek word in verse 27 is translated slave or bond servants.
In ancient times as in modern times slaves were owned by their masters.
A Good chunk of the economy in the Roman Empire in the first century was slavery
in our day.
Because there is so much conversation about American slavery.
We think that all slavery all the time was the highest level of evil.
There was evil slavery in the first century no question about it as in the modern era.
Where a man woman or child was forced into slavery and first Timothy 110 condemns us.
They called it calls it enslaving, you know, you see someone you say, okay I want the person's my slave and they they would just take the
person and then put that person for forced labor going forward.
There was also Evers evil slavery and that masters treated their slaves as less than human.
Abusing them in the Bible, of course condemns that but what is interesting is that the Old Testament made
laws for the relationship between slaves and masters and the Apostle Paul
did not call for the outlaw of slavery during his ministry.
But rather explained what the relationship should be between master and slave.
Paul gives these instructions for the master -slave relationship in Colossians chapter 3 Verse
22 where he writes obey in everything those who are your earthly masters.
Not by way of eye service as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart
fearing the Lord and Then Paul tells masters in Ephesians 6 9 masters do the same to them
and stop your threatening.
Knowing that he who is both their master and yours is in heaven and that there is no
partiality with him.
Instead of publicly calling for the abolition of slavery Paul set the standard for what the
master -slave Relationship should look like in this fallen world as he lived
in the first century in our text Jesus had no problem using the master -slave
illustration in Explaining how we should view our relationship to God and others.
What Jesus says is that the one who is great must be your servant.
At the end of verse 26 and at the beginning of?
Verse 27 he says the same thing another way whoever must be first among you must be your
A Servant was subject to his master their work consisted of
taking care of their master's property and prospering the land that the master owned.
And what Jesus is telling you is that your life is?
Intended to be in service to him and if you are truly in service to him this will
be shown in your service to others.
This is difficult to do because in our sinful nature.
We want to prop ourselves up.
We want to be served not to be the one who serves.
It's a lot easier to be served Than the one who serves is it not but the
only way one can truly be a servant is if you follow God.
One who serves apart from God does it from selfish motivation?
But when you humble yourself before God you will seek to serve others not to be
served.
What Jesus is saying in verses 26 and 27 is that if you want to be great if?
You want to be truly great?
Then humble yourself.
This is the path to true greatness.
The only standard that matters is God's standard.
When we talk about greatness you want to be great.
Don't follow some artificial false standard follow God's standard
to what true greatness is.
The only people in the world who are truly humble are Christians,
why is this?
Two things cause a believer to be humble.
Number one our sinfulness.
Our sinfulness shows that we are beggars that we need God to rescue us
to save us from certain destruction.
The one who is truly saved will have humility.
Realizing how God saved you from a hopeless place.
You need his help not only to save you.
But you need it through the whole Christian life, and this will humble you as you go before God.
Lord help me as I go and walk with you.
The second reason Christians are humble is because we realize who we are.
We are creatures.
God is Creator.
We are small we are specks.
He is enormous.
You are not the God of your life.
There is a great God who is above you.
There is one who has always been and one who will always be.
That's humbling.
There was a point where we did not exist.
Isn't that humbling thought the world.
The world did just fine without us by the way.
It's humbling to think about that and the day we die the world would you do
just fine.
It'll go on without you.
But there is a God who has always been and always Will be and that ought to
humble us.
So when we have this humbling you realize that life is not about you.
It's about serving him.
You are commissioned for a greater purpose.
You are commissioned to truly love and Jesus sets you and I the ultimate example.
This is what verse 28 says.
This is the ultimate example even as the Son of Man came.
Not to be served.
But to serve and to give his life as a ransom for
many.
Wow.
Jesus did this so I just shared with you the two reasons that Jesus That
are sorry the Christians are to humble themselves.
We're sinners.
Well, you know what's interesting about Jesus.
Jesus is humble but Jesus is in the center and He's not a creature
now in one sense.
He is he's he's got a human nature, but he's also God.
And yet he's humble.
What made Jesus humble.
The answer is that love is the nature of God.
True love always involves action.
It always involves doing good to others as We look at the
life of Jesus as he was on earth.
It was a life of complete service to humanity.
We have seen this throughout Matthew.
He healed people cast out demons.
Rescued his disciples on a few occasions.
He fed thousands of people on two different occasions.
He loved people truly loved people.
He did not come boasting to everyone that he was God demanding respect.
Respect followed him wherever he was because people saw greatness.
We talked about that right that the people who want respect the most.
Are pretty pathetic people and we shouldn't give those people respect, but the people who are worthy of respect
are those who live it and Jesus more than anyone as
the God -man.
Lived it and people were drawn to him.
People wanted to be around him.
People had the highest respect for him.
People worshipped him because he's not only man.
He's God as he served
as He served others as the God -man.
People saw true greatness.
Jesus showed what true greatness is through his love.
Greatness was not shown through big muscles through controlling others from showing off.
No.
His greatness was shown through his great love and his greatness his greatness was shown through
loving the unlovely.
Sinners.
God shows his love for us and that while we were yet sinners Christ died
for us.
Philippians chapter 2 verses 3 through 9.
I read that this morning.
Explains that about Jesus.
He was equal with God, but he did not use that fact for
elitism.
Just that is to say I'm so much higher than you that I don't care about you.
He cared deeply.
About others he humbled himself.
Serving others throughout his ministry and the ultimate way he humbled himself was by dying on the cross.
For sinners he paid the ultimate price.
He was given as a ransom for many as the text says.
People often ask the question What are you saved from when you believe in
Jesus?
It is true that you are saved from sin and Satan but you are most
saved from God as He is the one who pours out his justice on
every sinner.
Jesus bore that wrath as we saw last week in verse 22 Where Jesus said to James and John
are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink.
That cup is the father's holy wrath.
He drank it and he became the ransom for everyone here who is a follower of Christ.
Jesus has set the ultimate example of one who serves others.
He served every believer to the greatest extent through his life.
And as it is highlighted here his death.
He was given as a ransom for many.
And as we behold Jesus what will follow is humility.
What's interesting is that you know when I want humility the person who says that they're humble
isn't humble.
Sometimes you people say I'm a good person.
Good people don't say that they're good people.
Other people will say it of that person.
But if we have to talk ourselves up, I heard also said that if anyone ever tells you I'm an honest
person.
It probably means they're not an honest person because they have they trying to give this impression, right?
It just happens where people can see that about you if you truly are that person.
You don't need to say anything about it.
You don't need to defend it.
It's it's obvious in your life.
So I find that interesting.
But as Jesus followers We should be the most humble of all people.
We should not be looking to our own interests, but the interest of others.
The first Peter 5 verses 5 through 6 Says clothe yourselves all of you with humility toward one another for God opposes
the proud but gives grace to the humble.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time. He may
exalt you.
The self -advancers are the ones that God despises.
Do not seek your own glory.
But God's glory do not seek your own power.
Your own advancement your own desire for control your own desire for
renown.
But rather submit yourself to God.
When you become God's he commissions you to a life of service which is a life of love as
Philippians 2 4 says you look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others in this
way.
You are called great as you serve others and by serving others.
You are really serving the Lord as Colossians 324 says you are serving the Lord Christ.
As.
You serve others you are serving a fellow image -bearer.
And if you are serving another Christian you are serving a fellow brother or sister in Christ.
As we think about living lives of service, how will this show in our lives?
It shows in the little things in.
Opening doors for others and taking the time to listen even though you have many things on your mind.
Helping others financially when a need arises in driving someone to the hospital.
In.
Showing patience with others and Telling someone that you will pray and then following through with that
prayer.
You serve others by encouraging someone and even constructively correcting someone that's
love as well.
That's serving someone.
In order to help the person you serve others by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
One's forever happiness depends on one's relationship with Jesus.
When you share the gospel you are not thinking of your own personal comfort.
You are stepping out in courage and thinking of the eternal welfare of that person.
Serving always involves having another's best interest in mind.
It is a life of selflessness.
And this is rare in this world.
It's hard to find people Who are selfless?
We just had a very selfless man who was who is here a few weeks back.
That's for my friend and missionary Brian Stout.
I Know that many of you loved getting to know him while he was here.
Ever since I've known Brian what is clear about Brian is that he is very concerned with the interest of others.
Very concerned.
He's the kind of guy Who calls you up just to see how you're doing?
And if you have problems he deeply cares about your problems and wants to know how he can help.
He's the kind of friend who prays for you before the throne of grace.
He's also the best evangelist I've ever known.
He will share the gospel with anyone.
Anywhere.
He's not afraid of what people think.
He knows that people need Jesus and he so he courageously tells them even if they think he is
crazy.
For doing it He follows Jesus and is a servant of others just as Jesus
was during his life.
What anyone who lives this life discovers is that this is the most joyful life imaginable.
The life of selflessness.
The life of Humbling yourself before God the life where you are commissioned for his service.
God made it this way.
The less we think about ourselves the happier you will be.
That's how God made it.
Jesus said this in Acts 20 verse 35.
It is more blessed to give than to receive.
What does the word blessed mean?
It means happy.
It's more happy.
To give and to receive.
So, you know, Brian started.
I mentioned him.
Brian is a happy person.
Why is he happy person.
Because he lives like Jesus.
He thinks of the needs of others.
Who are the most miserable people, you know?
The self -absorbed.
The people who have a lot of they might have a lot of stuff.
They're not happy because they don't think about others.
The most joyful people you will meet are selfless servants who follow their masters example.
According to God's standard the only standard that matters.
These are the ones on earth who are truly great.
So understand that Jesus calls his disciples to pursue true greatness.
In this text we've seen two practices how.
The first practice is by refusing to elevate oneself like the world.
The second practice is by pursuing a life of service to others.
This is the true path of greatness and it's also the narrow path.
The path that Jesus describes in Matthew 7 the narrow path that leads to life.
A few people travel down this path, but it is Jesus call on each of the lives of his
disciples.
Think about the end of one's life.
The person who lives for self will not have Touched any hearts or
hardly any hearts?
Will not have helped others flourish.
What a sad life that is.
We are not here for ourselves we are here to glorify God by serving others.
This is the best life and the only life that is worthy of honor and Jesus says he
promises in his word it through his Apostle.
You will be exalted.
God will exalt you in the age to come.
For a life of service to him here on this earth you will be rewarded.
He notices these things.
And last week we saw that he said it's not for me to grant who sits at my right and my left hand in The future
kingdom it's for his father to grant.
But Jesus as the judge will be the one who rewards people at his father's command.
For their faithfulness while they lived on earth, so keep that in mind as you live.
He notices everything that you do everything that you do is being written down in a book
and the works that are written down are like works of selflessness where the interests of others are in mind
and the reason you have those interests for others is because You love God.
That's the center of it.
You love him and you want to live your life for him.
God promises to honor those who live selfless lives in this world and may that describe the people of Eureka Baptist a
People who are his servants in this world.
Now next Sunday, we will look at the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey a
Fulfillment of prophecy that was predicted long ago in the Old Testament.
And I look forward to looking at that with you the triumphal entry.
At this time was bow our heads in prayer.
Father in heaven you've shown us
the way to live the way to true greatness.
The way to live where you are glorified and We get the most joy from
the fact that you are glorified.
That people we don't want people to say what a great guy or what a great lady or what a great young
person that is.
We want people to say what a great God this person serves.
And may that be the story of our lives and so help us to live selfless lives for you in Jesus name.
Amen.
Okay.
So next Sunday, we're gonna have the migrants with us.
This is gonna be a missionary Sunday and we'll have a potluck or grabbing some kind of food afterwards.
Is it a potluck?
I can't remember what we said.
I'll top my head.
Sorry, Nancy.
Sorry to put you on the spot.
Well, it's not an announcement about that.
But yeah, so the migrants will be here next Sunday.
Looking forward to them to seeing them and as they're back from Ireland right now on furlough.
And I want to say to that if you if you need anyone to pray with I'm always available and mark is always
available.
We'd be glad to pray with you glad to talk with you.
So, please let us know that.
This time though.
Please receive the benediction as we close the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord cause his face to shine
upon you and be Gracious to you the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.
Go in peace.