And you remember what I told you last week, that chapters 11 and 12 deal with all the different kinds of responses that people can have to Christ. The Lord Jesus said in John 12:24, 'Verily, verily', truly, truly, 'I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit'. As we remarked then, our Lord poured unstinted eulogium upon the head of John, in the audience of the people, at the very moment when he showed himself weakest. Its an interpretive quote and the Lord by the way He quotes, interprets the verse to refer to John the Baptist, of course. Very few people are chosen to carry others into uncharted territory. In other words, hes going to go with a great effect and turn many hearts to God. Christy Mathewson is one of the greatest names in baseball. Then mind keeps him deeply asleep in his dreary world of illusions, so that he could somehow bear the squeezing and pressing of this limited reality. Remember that you are not alone, and you are not forgotten. John heralded a King. He was a man who knew what William Penn said, William Penn said Right is right even if everyone is against it and wrong is wrong even if everyone is for it. Thats simple but true. One who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat and humble and gentle in victory. Try John the Baptist is a prophet and we know hes a great prophet, hes got doubts. Now is the time to put aside the pain of the past and the fear of And may we know that to be a little child, to be the very least in Your Kingdom is to be the greatest. Any man in Christ is destined for greatness. It was not an easy task but the man who is great is always the man who deals with his weakness and overcomes it. He spoke with power and conviction and people were changed. Enter your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password. But thirdly, youve got to have the right impact. Success does not happen What does He mean by this? Verse 12, his preaching led to violence. He had high impact. Then he goes on to talk about judgment of fire and purging and burning them with unquenchable fire, a devastating diatribe against the religious leaders. Look ahead, hold on to your goals and keep pedalling. He is calling apostate Israel to repent. increase. He was a man of humility. And so, he was questioning whether Jesus was really the Messiah or not, because Jesus was not living up to the current expectations. WebGod's qualification for greatness is death. Scripture: Matthew 18:1-11 About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven? 2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them.3 Then he said, I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and A Sermon by John M. Miller Text Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. He became pivotal at that juncture of redemptive history. They are the people who cannot rise above their circumstances, they cannot rise above their difficulties, they cannot rise above their weaknesses. Register. We need to recognize that greatness is not determined by how much money we can get our hands on or how much power we wield, but greatness is serving. That is a statement of fact from the lips of our Lord Himself who is speaking in this text. Now, thats both parties of leaders. If you pronounced your faith in Jesus Christ, you were essentially denouncing all forms of worldly rulers. The key to greatness is to have a servant's heart. If money could solve problems, then the richest people on earth would be the happiest. "All the Gospel to all the world and to all generations. He had the marks that it takes to be great, to be a cut above, to be set apart, to be unique. And I guess if we were all to discuss the subject of greatness, and ask the question, who are really the great people in the world, we might come up with all kinds of answers. Lets peer inside Pauls heart, and see whats in there. The priests could only have to restrict himself from wine and strong drink while he was functioning as a priest, according to Leviticus chapter 10. And soon, they would not only kill the preacher but they would kill the King Himself. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. It also is used to express the idea of having something in common. Then I, his father, will dare to whisper I have not lived in vain.. (Amen!) And that we may, let us hold fast by the Source of all greatness, Christ Himself, and so You are like this seed. The kingdom is not for deferred prayers or unfulfilled promises or broken resolutions, or hesitant testimonies. your servant. And John had at least enough humility to say I dont know. And so, the man and the mission come together. Youve got to have the right man and the mission. You need to look at the things youre facing and give them a warning that they are about to be overwhelmed by the power of the Living God! Acording to Matthew 21:26, everybody knew he was a prophet. WebGreatness is often temporary; there is always someone who will come in and replace you. And in verse 10, theres a quote of Malachi 3:1. 1. And that puts you in the place of making a choice. It was a time of great persecution for Christians. The only person in the human race that even comes close to John in that regard is Mary. Whoever would be great among you, let him be your What? That it is saying that the Kingdom is moving ahead under the power of this marvelous man, John, and vigorous, aggressive, forceful people are taking that kingdom. In Malachi 4:5 it said that before the Messiah came to set up His kingdom on earth, Elijah would come as a forerunner. Its too bad he wasnt blown off. You are so skillful in resisting the entrance of knowledge. Have you ever noticed that? The end of the verse would read this way. They want to be considered by their peers as someone who is really great! WebGREATNESS is the measure of the relationship that you have with God apart from performance or human achievement. I love that. He started out as a pile of dirt. Why would you make such a long, hard journey? God designed you that way. But the ONE they bragged TO, was the SEED of Greatness; Jesus! He is the focus. Until you allow the water of God's Word to gush forth in you, the seeds of greatness will lie in wait. One generation will declare Your works to the next and will proclaim Your mighty acts." John could have been if theyd believed, and then the Kingdom would have been established right then. Im going to wrap this up right now. Every day the monk goes to the garden to look into an open grave which awaits the first monk to die and none of them ever speak. The great people are concerned with a goal. And before the kingdom comes in the future read Revelation 11 there are going to come two witnesses. Incredible calling, status, no greater privilege is ever given to any human being in history than to John the Baptist, not even Mary. Im talking about the one who denies himself to accomplish a goal that is obtainable and that is not totally self-consuming. Potential greatness is there waiting development, if we could see the outcome we might not be so impatient or discouraged at times. You are loved, and you are valuable. And this is another element of greatness, self-denial. Now, our Lord reinforces Johns greatness and He does it by discussing three major truths about John that mark his greatness, three major truths. What are they asking or what is the Lord asking? She was 18 years when she went in. A reed shaken with the wind? And well stop right there. I mean, he recognized that. Because hes searching for greatness. You didnt come out here because he was weak. Look at Matthew 18:3 for Jesus first response to the disciples question. Well, what is this saying? You didnt come out here because he was spineless. By the way, I would just point out as a footnote at this point that one of the great marks of this kind of man, one of the truest tests of greatness is humility. Now that is a mark of greatness. Well, they didnt receive the kingdom, did they? WebIts a very tender and touching sceneone of the most moving and heartwarming farewell speeches thats ever been recorded in literature. Everything God does, He does with an overabundance of quality. Thats what Hes saying. He wants them to know how great John really is. Find stories, quotes, humor, and statistics to bring your sermon on Greatness to life. Simeon spent 37 years on different pillars, each one higher and narrower than the last, and his last pillar was 66 feet high. They had vigorously rejected Jesus Christ. He touched the living Christ. But secondly, lets assume we translate it reflexively, it would read this way, and and by the way, the verb form can be either way so we just have to take our choice here. Download the Notes Listen to the Podcast. Back to verse 11, and heres where we end. You dont have to be able to explain Him. In other words, every single thing going on started revolving around him and he became the issue. And just to emphasize it, He says at the beginning of verse 11, Verily, which means truly, a fact beyond dispute. There is also one more ingredient that must be present to cause the seed to spring forth; WATER! Matthew 21:26: All men perceived that John the Baptist was a prophet, a forth teller, a speaker. In Luke 1, it says He shall go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah. And in John 1:21, he says I am not Elijah.. You dont have to understand Him. Lord, I ask you to give us a revelation of your plans for us. Dont let the world look at you and indict God for being lazy. The Pharisees and the scribes had vigorously attacked the Kingdom. WebThere's an argument indicated in verse 46 among the twelve about which of them is the greatest. When World War II came along he enlisted and later gave his life to save his buddy. You dont just easily take Jesus Christ, you dont just easily enter the kingdom. I dont care whether youre talking about the ministry or your job or your school work or your athletic career or whatever it is, greatness comes from an ability to get past your weakness. And so true greatness eludes him. Saint Assepsumas wore so many chains because he thought he could get rid of his sin by causing himself pain. %PDF-1.3 Found that in the early days of Herod the Great, many of the scribes who were attracted to Herod and wanted to seek favor from Herod took off their usual plain dress, which was the mark of a scribe, and they donned the ornate, luxurious robes of Herods court. The Sunday Mail. Thank you for Your mercy and Your grace and especially for Your patience. Along with determination we must develop self control. He was a prophet and they saw him that way. Its about group pride. Break the power of hopelessness by speaking life words rather than death words. We adults sometimes brood over what we could have been, but the young may plan now and work toward that which you may be come. - YouTube There is Greatness in You! And there was a tremendous amount of excitement. The great ones fight through, the great ones are competitive. He is a fulfillment of prophecy. In other words, you were saying, I do not care about what I look like. So if you take it reflexively, then the kingdom is moving ahead vigorously. If you are of this mindset, then think about Adam for a moment. For this is he of whom it is written, Behold I send My messenger before thy face who shall prepare thy way before thee.. It is extremely crucial to discover who you are in Christ. And I believe they will be that Elijah who comes to announce the Kingdom. Thats a general term here, simply referring to Gods rule, simply referring to Gods will, Gods message, Gods principles, Gods dimension, Gods Kingdom, Gods purposes. The greatest man that ever lived. When God created you, He placed seeds of greatness in you. As He strengthens you, He equips you to do His work, in faith toward Him and in fervent love toward one another. It was the right moment. Romans 1:19-20 (NLT) 19 For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. No. % There are a lot of keys on my key ring. The great ones, its they have a way of being followed by a cloud of dust. Look ahead, hold on to your goals and keep pedalling. WebBeing in uncomfortable situations or circumstances is often a prerequisite for stepping into greatness. There is no secret source code that only a few have cracked. He is at a weak place. You went out to see John He knows what theyre thinking. A man could have potential greatness but if he never got into the right field hed never know that. He not only was a man who was able to overcome weakness but he was a man who was strong in his conviction. You know, the greater ones are the focus of attention, arent they? Part of the reason that many of us don't realize that we carry seeds of greatness is because we've had so many negative things happen to us. I. That marked John. He was above it. And thats very important for us. Because they wanted to appear to be great! There were the vigorous, violent, forceful who dared to step out, who dared to break with tradition, who dared at all costs to separate themselves from the system, who came and took possession of the reign of God, who enthroned Jesus Christ as Lord. Sometimes we are tempted to call you empty headed. Dont tune out now. In Westmalle near Antwerp, there was a convent of Trappist monks who live under the vow of perpetual silence. He was the most powerful personality and the most powerful voice that ever spoke. It means the very opposite. Is it True for Christians That 'Once Saved, Always Saved'? For it is he of whom it is written, Behold I send My messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way before thee. He is the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1. Accordingly, we have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions in order to comply with GDPR. And that is not somebodys opinion. Now listen carefully. It is the person who lives under the illusion of perfection that is the true fool. Here at Grace to You Europe we take our data protection responsibilities very seriously and, as you would expect, have undertaken a significant programme of work to ensure that we are ready for this important legislative change. He is the greatest human being ever to live up until his time. They didnt all believe his message but they all saw he was a prophet. Our Ministry; Stories; What did you go out to see? What it says then, is that the kingdom is moving ahead and forceful people are entering it. I got this far, Ive got to finish. Mary gave birth to a baby. Maybe he isnt as great as we think.. Our Father, we hear the echo of the words of our Lord in Matthew 18. And he was the culmination. He was writing letters to his church from the Isle of Patmos while the church was under heavy fire. stream ", 2023 Hagee Ministries. The Messiahs coming, the Messiahs coming, the Messiah is coming. He was a man of destiny. We thank you for your faithful generosity. Oftentimes, you became a martyr. Pray the above verses of hope over your life. Some would say the geniuses of the world. A son who will master himself when he seeks to master other men. I mean, if you are always being diverted by the desire for comfort, if you cant take pain and youve always got to find the easy way, then youll never know what greatness is. He stood apart, unstained by the system. Well, basically, that is a sort of a Jewish reference, or a sort of an ancient reference to the human race. Faithfulness. They would grow along the bank of the Jordan River and they were frequently growing in other places around water. Hes not as hot as we thought he was. Cindetruly desires to lead people into a closer relationship with God through music; her prayer is that the ministry we share will uplift and encourage people to be all that God created them to be. 20 From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist. Now that is an amazing statement. He was too young to join Sauls army but he could be entrusted to care for the flock. All rights reserved. WebA Model For Greatness Introduction Our text for the morning, concerning who is greatest in the kingdom, reminds me of the story of a bus driver and a clergyman who were standing So look what He says, the first statement. WebObviously there are days that give you lessons (and thats ok, thats part of growth) BUT there are days when your return is more than 3%!! Thats really true. This is a Psalm of worship and in his worship, he is expressing the greatness of God. In Matthew chapter 7 it says that if youre going to enter into the narrow gate, youre going to have to realize that its hard to enter, that there must be a striving. Bessarion, a monk, would not even give in to his bodys desire for restful sleep. We sent you an email. McGraw said, Not a bus leaves until Mattie runs. #compoundinterest #compounding #growyourmoney #investingtok #investingtip #learntoinvest". God can break that and our hearts respond. Developing the traits that lead to greatness. This article is also available and sold as a booklet. Let the seeds of greatness that You placed in us bear an abundance of fruit (John 15) that will bring glory and honor to You in the earth. And the Kingdom of heaven, verse 12, refers to Gods rule. And once you do that you can deal with it. Verse 8, What went ye out to see? Now you went all the way out in the desert, you traveled hours into the desert to look and to listen to this man, Did you go out there to see a man clothed in soft raiment like they wear in the kings house? Did you go out there just to see another typical guy who is a courtier, who operates in the palace, who favors the king, who does whatever you need to do to get the royal favors, a man who lives a life of luxurious self-indulgence? Your email address and we will send you a link to reset your password situations or circumstances is temporary. To announce the kingdom your grace and especially for your patience Jesus Christ, you essentially! 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Is speaking in this text were frequently growing in other places around water names in baseball ; what did go! A prophet being ever to live up until his time moving and heartwarming speeches!
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