We are so glad you're here. Whether you're listening
on your morning commute, at the gym, or relaxing
with a cup of coffee, thanks for spending part
of your day with us. If today's message encourages
you and you'd like to get connected with everything
happening at Hub City Vineyard, head over to
htv .church slash connect. We'd love to meet
you and help you find your place here. Want to
know what's coming up, discover ways to serve,
or stay in the loop on upcoming events? Check
out hcv .church slash what's up for everything
happening around HCV. Now turn it up, lean in,
and get ready for what God has for you today.
We hope this message encourages you, challenges
you, and reminds you that you are deeply loved.
Now let's hear the message. Hey, good morning
everyone! So good to hear you here, and I am
back and excited to share with you. If you're
joining us from home, thank you for welcoming
us into your space. At first, just want to take
a second to thank all those that stepped in for
me in my absence. I want to thank Rudy and Rhett
and Carl and Steven. I heard they did a great
job. I haven't had an opportunity to listen to
their talk yet, but I'm planning on doing it
this week. But our family had the opportunity
to spend 10 days away at the beach and just kind
of rejuvenate and refresh. And a few things you
may not know. Our family has experienced a lot
of change in the last two weeks. We actually
sent our two youngest off to school. We left
Lily down in Boca Raton, Florida at the University
of Florida Atlantic, where she's starting college.
And Nolan is now boarding at St. James. So we're
moving our youngers out of the house, which leaves
us with Phoenix. If anybody wants to open their
door for them, you know, we can. I'm just kidding.
So it was interesting. I had an opportunity to
take a walk with Lily on the beach. I had an
opportunity to share with Nolan on his way down
to move him into St. James. And something that
is kind of on my heart that I share with my kids
quite often is that in whatever you're doing,
whether they're going to pitch or play soccer
or whatever they're about to do, I always challenge
them with two words, and I say, be great. When
you go out here and you do these things, and
they may be new and they may be intimidating,
be great. Because you have Jesus inside of you.
Now, we live in a culture that teaches us to
chase greatness. From an early age, we learn
that being great means being first. Get the best
grades. Get the promotion. Make more money. Have
more followers. Drive the nicer car. Build a
bigger platform. Have the perfect house. Be recognized.
Be respected. Be successful. And see, there's
nothing wrong with wanting to do something significant
in your life. But here's the problem. The world's
definition of greatness and God's definition
of greatness are not always the same. And in
Matthew chapter 20, James and John's mother comes
to Jesus with her quest. See, she wants her sons
to have the positions of greatest honor in God's
kingdom. One sitting at his right hand and the
other at his left. In other words, she's asking
Jesus, can you make my boys, can you make my
sons great? And what's interesting is that the
other disciples aren't even upset because they
think the request is wrong. They're upset and
frustrated because they didn't ask it first.
They wanted the same position. Everybody wanted
to be great. And Jesus doesn't tell them, stop
denying greatness. Stop pursuing greatness. He
never says that. Instead, Jesus teaches them
how to become great God's way. He says in verse
26, whoever wants to become great among you must
be your servant. And see, friends, that's an
upside -down definition of greatness. The world
says greatness is found in being served. Jesus
says greatness is found in serving. The world
says climb the ladder, earn more. Jesus says
lower yourself. The world says, make a name for
yourself. Jesus says, use your life to lift someone
else up. So the question this morning is simple.
Church, are you chasing the wrong things? Because
in the kingdom of God, greatness isn't measured
by how many people serve you. It's measured by
how many people you're willing to serve. So let's
ask the Holy Spirit to come. Be a part of this
gathering and use me. Because I don't want it
to be my words. I want it to be his words that
challenges all of us to change. Holy Spirit,
come. We welcome you here, God. We're grateful
that your presence is here with us. Silence,
distractions, in Jesus' name. Open our ears,
our minds, and our hearts to receive your truth
this morning. We pray this all in Jesus' name.
Amen. All that leads us to our first thought.
You see, Jesus wants his followers to pursue
greatness. We're going to start in Matthew chapter
20, verses 18 through 19. Listen, he said, we're
going up to Jerusalem where the Son of Man will
be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers
of religious law. They will sentence him to die.
Then they will hand him over to the Romans to
be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified.
But on the third day, he will be raised from
the dead. So Jesus had just shared the gospel
with the disciples. He wanted them and us to
know exactly why he came to earth. See, even
though he was a teacher, he did not primarily
come to teach us lessons about who God was and
how we should act. Even though he performed miracles,
he was not primarily a miracle worker. He came
for the redemption of all mankind. So Jesus clearly
communicated to the disciples that he would die
and on the third day be raised from the dead.
Churches is good news. This is the gospel. This
is Easter. But we must remember the religious
people all expected the Messiah to show up and
flex his power. They expected... That if he was
the Messiah, the Son of God, the serpent crusher,
the one that the Old Testament pointed to, he
would come and take over by exercising his power
and authority. And see, Jesus doesn't fit into
the religious boxes and instead shows his true
strength by being obedient to death on a cross.
Jesus completely redefines greatness for them
and us. See, in our society, in our culture,
if your desire is to be great, awesome. But unfortunately,
success is most often defined by possession,
position, and power. And in the very next section,
right after Jesus shares the gospel, think about
this. He just shares the good news, the reason
he came. He says, pay attention, everyone. We're
going to Jerusalem. I'm going to be arrested,
crucified, killed, buried, and on the third day
be resurrected from the grave. And in the midst
of that conversation, have you ever been in a
conversation with someone and in your mind you're
thinking about your response while the person's
talking? So essentially you see their lips moving
like this, but you're thinking about your response
because it's so important about what you want
to say. You've never done that before, right?
I believe we can all acknowledge we do that regularly.
But there's a mom who does that very thing to
Jesus. Jesus had just shared the gospel, the
truth of what would happen to him over the course
of the next few days, and she literally says,
enough about you. I have a question. Not even
a question, I have a request. And for many of
us, we're thinking, how could she? What is she
thinking? But here's the reality. There's so
many people that gather in churches every single
Sunday, including our own, with the same attitude.
See, church, this gathering is not about you.
It's not about me. It's not about this stage.
It's not about the music, the lights, or even
the live stream. This gathering is about lifting
up and glorifying the name that is above every
other name. This gathering is all about Jesus,
his glory, his power, his love, his grace, and
his authority. That's what it's about. Yet so
many times people walk into these gatherings
with a checklist and say, well, I didn't get
anything out of that gathering. I didn't like
that song. That action step offended me. My response
to you is this. What did you bring to it? What
are you offering to the gathering? So right after
Jesus shares the gospel, their response should
have been, tell me more. But instead, this is
what we read. Then the mother of James and John,
the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons.
She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. Jesus
says, what is your request? Or in other words,
what do you want? Let's be honest. He knows her
heart. He knows our hearts. She replied, in your
kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places
of honor next to you, one on your right and the
other on your left. And remember, she thinks
when Jesus kicks out the Romans and restores
Israel to the superpower it was meant to be,
then he will be in charge and her sons would
become senior VPs of Jesus Incorporated. This
is the original helicopter parent. You know that
mom or dad? It's always around to make sure little
Johnny is the best or the greatest. You know,
little Johnny didn't make an all -star team,
so I'll just start a travel team. I'll have my
own team. And that way, little Johnny will be
great. And what's interesting is that both her
sons wanted to be great. They wanted to experience
greatness. And again, Jesus never scolds them
for wanting to be great. He doesn't say, how
dare you for wanting to be great. So let me ask
you a question. Do you want to be great? Yeah,
I hope so. It's not a trick question. I want
you to be great. Just like I tell my kids through
texts and messages, be great. I want you to be
a great dad, a great man, a great leader, a great
husband. I want you to be a great woman, a great
mom, a great athlete, a great student. I want
you to become a great musician. I want you to
be even a greater employee and a better friend.
In fact, God wants you to be great. How do I
know that? Well, Ephesians 2, 8 through 10 says,
God saved you by his grace when you believed.
It's not about you. You can't take credit for
it. It's a gift. Salvation is not a reward for
good things we have done, so none of us can boast
about it. For we are God's masterpiece. And the
last time I checked, masterpieces are great.
They're set apart. They're acknowledged. And
they stand the test of time. And if you're in
a relationship with Jesus, God doesn't want you
to be average. He doesn't want you to be like
everyone else. He doesn't want you to fit in.
He wants you to be special, unique. He wants
you to be a masterpiece that's set apart, that
stands out. And not just stands out, but stands
up for others. Remember, Jesus never scolded
the mom or the sons for wanting to be great.
He simply goes on to redefine and redirect what
greatness is in the kingdom of God. And see,
greatness is not about possession, position,
and power. None of that means anything in the
kingdom of God. Greatness in the kingdom of God
means we are leveraging our strength, not for
ourselves, but in the service of others. So hear
me out. This talk is only for people that want
to be great. That's it. So if you don't want
to be great, take a nap or you're free to leave.
Because Jesus desires that we make a difference
in this world. He says, don't be average. Don't
let time pass you by. Be great. Which leads us
to discuss how to be great in God's kingdom.
Five simple steps that if we apply to our lives
every single day, I believe we will turn this
world upside down through the Spirit living inside
of us. And the first is this. We need to surrender
to Jesus. Matthew 20, 20. Then the mother of
James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to
Jesus with her sons. And remember, I talked about,
oh, she wasn't listening, but notice what she
did do. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor.
So even though this mom had impure motives, which
Jesus knew, she doesn't understand kingdom economics.
She does understand the authority that Jesus
had because she kneeled before him. She understands
success isn't determined by what you produce.
It is determined by how close you are to Jesus.
See, this is a big deal. Because if we're not
willing to bend our knee before Jesus, then we
can gain the whole world and yet forfeit our
soul, losing everything that matters. So let
me ask all of you a question. Is Jesus first
in your life? Is he the number one priority when
it comes to who you are? And don't answer too
quickly because we're gathered at HCV on a Sunday.
Right? We just sung three powerful songs. We
know something is different in this place. We're
connecting to the Spirit of God. We're connecting
with others. So right now, you might feel like
Jesus is number one. but feelings are irrelevant.
Is this your life? Matthew 22. Love the Lord
your God with all your heart, all your soul,
and all your mind. Not just on Sunday, but on
Wednesday when the stress of the work week has
escalated to a point where you're about to have
a nervous breakdown. And listen, church, it's
really easy to take an account for your life
to see what's first in your life. Just take a
look at three simple things. First is your time.
Is he first? First thing in the morning, what
do you grab? You grab this? Oh, I gotta check
in. Gotta make a video. Gotta let everyone know
I woke up today. Or do you give the beginning
of your day to the one that should be first in
your life? I mean, the reason we gather on Sundays
is because it's the first day of the week and
Jesus followers gather to declare that Jesus
is Lord of their lives. That's why we're here.
Do you prioritize Sunday gatherings? Is that
a part of your time? Or are there other things
that come and get in the way of it? Where's your
time spent? Another way to look is your bank
accounts. Oh, Chris is back. Is Jesus first?
Do you bring him your first and your best? I
mean, Jesus did say, not my words, where your
treasure is, there your heart will also be. Or
you're one of those people that try to navigate
and justify how the New Testament tithing isn't
biblical. Well, Jesus never told it. It's an
Old Testament requirement. Simply proving to
yourself and everyone else that you can keep
everything in your pockets, but still say he's
first in your life. Simply not true. Finally,
take a look at your affections. When we worship,
when we gather together, when we lift holy hands,
when we shout the name of Jesus, are you more
concerned about what he thinks or are you more
concerned about who's gathered around you? Oh,
they might smell my odor. I mean, you heard Trinity
mention today's baptism Sunday, our summer baptism.
We're going to have our summer baptism pool party
at 530 at Potterfield Pool. We have 50 people
already signed up to be baptized. We're excited
about it. We're expecting. Oh, don't clap. No,
no, no, I'm not done yet. And I hear all the
time, well, I want to get baptized, Chris, but
I don't want to get baptized at church in the
pools. I don't want to get baptized in a pool.
I need nature. I need the river. Like, okay.
after the third gathering, which is our next
gathering, we're going to the river. So for all
of you that need the river, show up at 1 .30.
Show us, show God that Jesus is first in your
life. I'm tired of the excuses. Is he first in
your life? And this question is so crucial. To
the follower of Jesus. It goes all the way back
to creation. Before sin even entered into the
world. God established this idea called Sabbath.
And in the Old Testament it's a law. In the New
Testament it's a principle. And please understand.
Sabbath is not necessarily about a day. Because
Jesus is our Sabbath rest. That's what the Bible
tells us. The idea of a Sabbath is not even totally
about rest. Here's why. When you read the creation
account. Adam and Eve were created on the sixth
day. Have you ever thought about why God took
six days to create everything? I mean, God is
never in a hurry. He didn't really need six days.
He could have just spoke everything into existence.
He could have just said everything, and it's
there. Could have, but he didn't. Because God
wanted us to see that he is a person of rhythm
and order. Think about it. The first three days,
God created the environment, and then he fills
them up on the following three days. On the sixth
day, he creates his image bearers and says, everything
is good. But then for the first time ever, he
says, oh, it's not good. Adam is alone. And it's
not good for man to be alone, so he creates Eve.
Then he gives them a bunch of commands on what
to do. There's only one don't, right? Don't eat
from the tree, which of course we know they messed
up. But God tells them, subdue, cultivate, be
fruitful, multiply. Now, please understand, this
isn't in the Bible. It's just an example, okay?
Imagine the conversation Adam had with God the
Father. Okay, so if I were Adam, I've been alive
for maybe 10 hours. The Bible didn't really tell
us, but let's just say I've been alive for 10
hours. Hey, Dad, it's nearing the end of the
day. I'm kind of tired. What are we going to
do tomorrow? You know, you told me we have a
lot to do. We have this garden to tend, right?
We got to name these animals. We have to be fruitful
and multiply. I'm really looking forward to that.
What happens tomorrow? Are we going to get busy
working? Are we going to do the stuff? God says,
this is what we're going to do tomorrow. This
is what we're going to do tomorrow, Adam. We're
going to Sabbath. Okay, what's that? Well, we're
reading Genesis. God blessed the seventh day
and declared it holy because it was the day when
he rested from all his work of creation. Imagine
Adam. He's like, rest from what? I'm not even
tired. I just got created. I didn't even do anything.
Well, see, the point of the Sabbath is not that
a person rests from work. It's resting for work.
It's not just about rest. It's about orienting
our entire life. In making God first. That's
what it's about. And here's the reality. If God
is not first in your life, then your entire life
is out of order. And you're never going to be
great. You're never going to be great. And unfortunately,
busyness has become a greeting in our culture.
How you doing today, busy? I'm busy. And you
know I've used a quote that said, if the devil
can't make you bad, he's going to make you busy.
And that's why God is orienting the Sabbath for
us. Because it makes Jesus, it makes God the
priority so that we surrender to him so that
we can then be great when we work. Romans 12
.1, and so dear brothers and sisters, I plead
with you, give your bodies to God because of
all he has done for you. Let them be a living
and holy sacrifice, the kind we find acceptable.
This is the way we worship him. See, it's all
about making Jesus first in every area of our
life. Have you surrendered to Jesus, which leads
us to our next step. Church, we're going to have
to endure hardships. If you want to live a comfortable,
carefree life, be a person that everyone likes,
go work in an ice cream stand. You know what
I mean? There's never a mean person in an ice
cream line. They're excited about the sugar rush
they're about to get. But following Jesus means
we will experience some pain. How do I know that
again? Matthew 20, 22. But Jesus answered by
saying to them, you don't know what you're asking.
Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of
suffering I'm about to drink? Oh, yes, they replied.
Yes, we are. And that cup that Jesus is talking
about is the pain he will endure on the cross.
He is talking about the cup of the wrath of God
that will be poured out on sin and sinners. And
we know this. From reading ahead, Matthew 26.
He went a little farther, bowed his face to the
ground, praying, my father, if it is possible,
let this cup of suffering be taken away from
me. Yet I want your will be not mine. See, Jesus
is talking about the judgment of God against
sin. Jesus is literally asking God a question
that people in our culture ask all the time.
You mean to tell me that Jesus is the only way
to go and to get into heaven? He's the only way
to reconnect with the Father. Aren't all religions
a way to get to God? And listen, I didn't say
it. Don't judge me. Jesus said it. John 14, 6.
I'm the way, the truth, and the life. No one
come to the Father except through me. But in
the garden, when facing the hardships and the
pain that was coming his way, he's asking, is
it necessary for me to die on a cross? Is there
any other way for sinful humanity to reconnect
with you? But then notice what he said. Not my
will, but yours be done. And church, if we're
ever going to be great in the kingdom of God,
we have to endure pain. And that's terrible news
for a culture that pursues comfort. We love to
be comfortable. We want everything to be lined
up and to be the way we want it. I mean, one
of the reasons we have to endure pain in this
world is because we have to take responsibility
for actions. If you're in a relationship with
Jesus, listen, stop blaming others. Stop pointing
fingers. It's not their fault. Be responsible
for your life and what you've been given. And
stand up and be accountable. And not only are
we called to be accountable for our actions,
we're called to support each other and pray for
each other because we are now a family of God.
We're not individuals. When you're in a relationship
with Jesus, we're a family of God. And therefore,
Galatians 6 tells us, share each other's burdens
and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you
think you're too important to help someone, you're
fooling yourself. You're not that important.
Jesus did say. If you follow me, the whole world
will hate you. Why? Why would he say that? Because
when a person stands on God's truth and not their
own feelings, then society's gonna have a problem
with it. And if you're gonna follow Jesus, we
have to learn to endure pain. How much pain?
Proverbs 24 says, the godly may trip seven times,
but they're gonna get up again. See, we're not
gonna be perfect. It means that we need to persevere
through the pain. Theologian A .W. Tozer said
this, it is doubtful whether God can bless a
man greatly until he has hurt him deeply. Jesus
said, you want to follow me? And if the answer
is yes, he doesn't say, come to church every
now and then when it's convenient, say a prayer,
sing a few songs, and maybe give a tip on the
way out. He doesn't say that. This is what he
says. If any of you wants to be my follower,
you must give up your own way, take up your cross,
and follow me. That's crucifixion. That's crucifixion
of self, crucifixion of sin, crucifixion of ego,
crucifixion of flesh, crucifixion to our own
will. That's what it means to follow Jesus. And
the thing that makes you great is not that you
are going to experience pain. Welcome to earth.
We're humans, and we're going to human. We're
going to hurt other people. It's called sin.
If you want to be great in the kingdom of God,
pain is coming your way. Don't try to avoid it.
Persevere through it. And let others see your
light shine, which leads us to our third step.
Practice humility. And this is counterculture
to our society because everyone wants to make
a name for themselves. Everyone wants the platform.
Matthew 20, 23, Jesus told him, You will indeed
drink from my bitter cup, but I have no right
to say who will sit on my right or my left. My
Father has prepared those places for the ones
he has chosen. Think about it. Jesus is the Son
of God, second person of the Trinity. The Bible
says that the fullness of God was pleased to
dwell in his Son, Jesus. The Bible tells us that
he created all things by him, for him, through
him, and to him. And the first time Jesus came
to earth, he came as a meek and mild baby in
a manger. But that's not his current existence.
Even though we laugh and we make fun about Ricky
Bobby praying to baby Jesus, that's not the way
he is anymore. Right now, Jesus is king of kings
and lord of lords. He's sitting at the right
hand of God the Father and it is by his power
that we have breath in our lungs and the world
is spinning on its axis. And Jesus is anticipatively
waiting for the moment that God the Father taps
him on the shoulder and he says, hey, go get
mine and bring them home. And church, when Jesus
returns, he's coming in power. The trumpet will
blast, the heavens will be torn apart, and Jesus
is coming back on a war horse with fire in his
eyes, a sword coming out of his mouth and tattoos
on his quads. Don't tell me the tattoos aren't
right. And he's coming back to judge the earth.
And the Bible tells us that he'll be dressed
in white for the final fight. And I don't know
about you, but anybody that wears white to a
fight means they know they're going to win and
it won't take long. So Jesus is coming back as
king and in charge. And the mom asked for her
sons to get a promotion. And Jesus responds by
saying, that decision is over my pay grade. That's
humility. And Jesus consistently submits to the
authority of the Father. You want to be the greatest?
Humble yourself. Submit to authority. Sit under
people over you and allow them to pour into you.
Matthew 18, 4, so anyone who becomes as humble
as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom
of heaven. Right? We read that verse. So many
of you have memorized that verse. But yet I get
back from vacation and the first thing I hear
is, Chris, we need more teachers. We don't have
enough teachers in the kids' wing. I'm just like,
I'm praying for our church. I'm praying for our
church. Because we shouldn't be begging people
to want to teach in the kids' wing. There shouldn't
be a Sunday, a gathering that goes by that people
aren't lining up to teach little kids. Because
when we teach kids, what happens? we become great.
Because we're pouring into their life. Matthew
23, the greatest among you must be a servant.
Those who exalt themselves to be humbled are
those who humble themselves to be exalted. Many
of you don't know the only reason this church
is in existence today is because of a man named
John Elmer. He took a chance on a 28 -year -old
young man with a family that was a punk and thought
he knew it all. I was on fire for God, gave my
life to Jesus and told everybody everything they
were doing wrong. But he took me in and he humbled
me. And he made my wife a janitor. And I had
to take care of a building. And I had to clean
up vomit. And I had to shovel a flat roof because
our roof was leaking so bad we couldn't even
have Sunday gatherings because we had 168 inches
of snow that year. I learned what humility was.
And it was in humility that in 2006 I was then
sent out to start this church. See, are you constantly
self -promoting? Or do you trust God to promote
you? Because hear me out, I don't need this stage.
I don't want this stage. The only reason I'm
standing on this stage is because God called
me to it and I'm just being obedient to his will
in my life. Which leads us to our fourth step
you need to serve. Matthew 20, 24 to 28, when
the 10 other disciples heard what James and John
had asked, they were indignant. I think it's
funny there. They were probably thinking we should
have invited mom. Right? They're all fired up.
I wanted to be great. I should have brought mom
along. But Jesus called them together and said,
you know that the rulers in this world lorded
over their people, and officials flaunt their
authority over those under them. But among you
will be different, church. Whoever wants to be
a leader among you must be your servant, and
whoever wants to be first among you must become
your slave. Slave. For even the Son of Man came
not to be served, but to serve others and give
his life as a ransom for many. So just reflect
on your own life. What do you do when you're
in charge? Because at some point, all of us are
in charge. How do you respond? Do you flex your
authority? Do you throw tantrums or do you serve?
Is serving beneath you? Because if serving is
beneath you, then leadership and greatness is
beyond you in the kingdom of God. See, a man
that I consider great here at HCV is a young
man named Christian Rand. Many of you don't even
know who he is. Some of you may know him as the
keyboard player on our worship team, or some
of you teenagers know he's one of our youth leaders.
Yes, I know he does those things, but I know
him as a young man that is willing to empty the
trash in our vegetables every single Sunday.
See, I don't know if you know this or not, but
there's a lot of people that gather here on a
Sunday, well over 1 ,200 people. And when you
bring that many people together over three gatherings,
guess what? There's a lot of mess. There's a
lot of trash. And just let me remind you, this
is God's house. This isn't Chris's house. This
isn't the staff's house. This is our house because
it's God's house. And dare I say, we need to
be accountable to God and clean up after ourselves.
The last thing I need to hear on a Tuesday when
I get back from vacation at a staff meeting is,
Chris, we need a clean team. We need a clean
team. There's too many messes. There's coffee
spilled and there's cups everywhere and there's
trash and there's paper. Listen, I don't care
if you're in a recovery house. I don't care if
you don't know Jesus. I don't care how long you've
been coming to this church or how long you've
been in a relationship with God. Be accountable
to God and yourself and pick up your trash. You're
the clean team. We have a clean team. There's
500 of you. And what does that mean? Look down
the rows. Look on the floors. When you leave,
pick something up. It's called being a servant.
It's called being willing to serve. As you leave,
if the trash is overflowing, don't pile it up
like Jenga. I've seen you do it. That's how I
know. Like, take the lid off, pull the bag out,
and take it to the trash. It's not that hard.
See, our world teaches us that it's a dog -eat
-dog world. And Jesus says, if you want to be
great in my kingdom, lower yourself and lift
others up. That's what makes you great. Paul
writes this in Philippians 2, don't be selfish,
don't try to impress others. And I thought about
that this morning. I was like, don't be selfish,
don't try to impress others. If I looked at your
Instagram or Facebook feeds, what would I see?
See, there's a reason I'm not on social media.
Yes, I check in. I know all your feeds. I may
not post a lot. I know your feeds. Are you humble?
Are you thinking of others as better than yourselves?
Don't look out for your own interests. Take an
interest in others too. Is that you? Is that
what your social media feed says? That you care
and love others? Or are you just fighting a political
windstorm that's never going to change? See,
we are to treat other people as if they're better
than us. That's how we're to live. And you say,
well, Chris, what does that mean? What about
Tammy that works with you? You know Tammy? You
know Tammy, that person that no one really likes?
She smells like cats. She's got opinions. She
complains all the time. She brings her lunch
in Tupperware that hasn't been cleaned in three
weeks. And when she opens it, it just straight
up smells like dead fish. You know Tammy, right?
Everyone knows Tammy? Or for some of you that
are younger, maybe that classmate Stephen, you
know he's a little different, and everyone picks
on him. You know Stephen? Paul says, when you
walk into work tomorrow, ask Tammy if you can
get her some coffee. Paul says, when you go to
school tomorrow, find Stephen and ask him how
he's doing. Have lunch with him and hear his
story. See, we are called as Jesus followers
to treat them better than we treat ourselves.
That's having the same attitude as Christ Jesus.
Remember what he said. Though he was God, He
did not think of equality with God as something
to cling to. Instead, he gave up his own divine
privileges and took the humble position of a
slave. That is how Jesus demonstrates greatness.
You want another example of greatness? We read
in John 13, Jesus knew that the Father had given
him authority over everything that he had come
from, God, and would return to God. So he got
up from the table, took off his robe, and wrapped
a towel around his waist. And see, notice, in
this instance, Jesus didn't get up and preach
a sermon to demonstrate how smart he was. He
didn't get up to perform a miracle to demonstrate
his power. He didn't start a political power.
He didn't audition for the lead role in a movie.
He gets up from the table, dresses himself as
the lowest of lows in terms of servants and washes
his disciples' feet. Now, for many of us, we
don't fully understand foot washing because our
examples are often wrong. Have you ever been
a part of a foot washing service, modern day?
Yeah, some of you. I hate them. I absolutely
hate them. And here's why. Because we don't understand
what it means. We have clean feet. We clean our
feet two, three times a day. We scrub them. We
wear socks. We wear shoes. Our feet are clean.
In Jesus' day, people walked around in Jesus'
sandals. This is what was on their feet. And
their roads, remember there was an agricultural
society, they used camels as means of transportation.
And you know what they didn't use? They didn't
use these. Yeah, it's still warm. They didn't
do yeast. Like when we walk our dogs now, we
have poop bags. And we pick up everything and
we throw it all away and we're polite human beings.
Well, in the first century, they didn't carry
around bags to pick up camel dung. You know where
the camel poop went? On the roads, which means
it went on all their feet. And by the time they
got to dinner, the people had to clean up. And
that's where this servant, the lowest of lows,
was responsible for cleaning stinky, poopy feet.
And Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords, he
gets up, grabs a basin of water, and washes their
feet. He washes the denier's feet. He washes
the doubter's feet. He washes the betrayer's
feet. And after washing their feet, he put his
robe again and sat it down and asked, do you
understand what I was doing? You call me teacher
and Lord, and you are right because that's what
I am. And since I, your Lord and teacher, have
washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's
feet. I've given you an example to follow. Do
as I've done. Slaves are not greater than their
master, nor is the messenger more important than
the ones who sends the message. That's the gospel.
See, when we serve others, that's the good news.
Because remember, Jesus came down out of heaven
to wash us and clean us of all our sins. And
when we serve others, it's not out of guilt or
manipulation. We're doing it for Jesus. Because
we want to put others ahead of ourselves, which
leads us to our fifth and final step. We need
to be desperate. So right after, right after
notice, Jesus addresses the mom and the sons.
Verse 29. As Jesus and the disciples left the
town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind.
Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When
they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they
began shouting, Lord, son of David, have mercy
on us. Be quiet. The crowd yelled at them. Society
looked down on these men. They were the forgotten,
the outcast. But they only shouted louder, Lord,
Son of David, have mercy on us. And when Jesus
heard them, he stopped and called. Notice his
response and how it's different from the mom.
What do you want me to do for you? Lord, they
said, we want to see. Jesus felt sorry for them
and touched their eyes. Instantly they could
see, then they followed him. See, these men were
more concerned about what Jesus thought than
what the crowd thought. Are you? Are you? Are
you more concerned about what people think about
you? See, we have an opportunity to serve men
just like this at our first annual HHC Fest that
I'm excited about. Right now, Jeff France is
at HHC leading a group of forgotten people in
a nursing home, teaching them about Jesus, sharing
about what it means to be great. And we want
to invade that nursing home and see every resident
come into a relationship with Jesus. We want
to go there and we want to have wheelchair races.
And we want to have a water balloon toss. And
we want to baptize people. And we want to feed
them and cut their hair. And we want to serve
them. And we don't want to just serve those that
are in the church gathering right now. We want
to serve every single resident. And you say,
well, why, Chris? Because we'll never be great
in the kingdom of God if we care about what the
crowd thinks. I deal with this all the time.
I deal with this all the time because listen,
if you're a pastor and you lead a church that's
healthy and growing and you teach the Bible for
a living, guess what? Social media gets mad at
you. They get real mad at you. And I know that
Jesus called me to do this. Not them and not
you. And I will continue to listen to his voice
and his leading as I pastor and lead this church.
And that's why I stand on Galatians 1 .10. Obviously,
I'm not trying to win the approval of people,
but of God. If pleasing people were my goal,
I would not be Christ's servant. In a world where
greatness is defined by power, position, and
possession, in the kingdom of God, greatness
is all about humility and prayer. Just like those
two men, and in their desperation, they were
healed and set free. And hear me out. We did
a 24 -7 prayer, a week of 24 -7 prayer at the
start of the year. I was excited about it. We
filled every spot and we did it. God has been
doing supernatural things all year up to this
point. And then you, you said, oh, we got to
do that again. It was so much fun. God did so
much. So we said, okay, we'll do it again. And
we have a signup sheet out there and no one's
names are on it. I didn't want to do it. You
wanted to do it. So for all you that wanted to
do 24 -7 prayer, get your name on the sign -up
sheet. Because we're doing it now. We're stepping
out in faith and doing it again. But for all
you that loved it and experienced it and wanted
to do it, get your name on the sheet. Because
it starts next week. And we want every spot filled.
And tomorrow, when your day starts, have a desire
to be great. Because Colossians 3 says, work
willingly at whatever you do. as though you were
working for the Lord rather than people. If you
have that attitude, you will make a difference
in your workplace and your schools. You will
become great as you serve others. But my question
to all of you is this. Will you surrender? I'm
gonna pray a simple prayer. It's my first time
back in a couple weeks. And I'm gonna offer you,
if you've never decided to follow Jesus, right
now is your time. And we're all gonna pray it
with you. And I don't care where you are in your
walk of life. This is your opportunity. Let's
pray together. Jesus, I'm broken. I'm full of
doubt, shame, regret, sin. Change me. Forgive
me. I believe you're God's son. I believe you
died for me. I believe you're alive today. Make
me new. Set me free. Fill me with your spirit.
Help me, God, to serve others. In Jesus' name,
amen. Now listen, if you prayed that prayer,
if you prayed that prayer, get baptized after
the third gathering. If you don't know if you
need to get baptized, there was a question on
our thing. Well, I was baptized as a kid, but
I was forced to get baptized. I'm not sure if
I can get baptized. Just get baptized again.
If there's any question, get baptized. Because
you're just declaring that Jesus is a prior in
your life. Okay, I went long. I'm sorry. My wife's
going to be mad at me. That's okay. I think it
was good. It was worth it, right? All right.
Now listen, I'm going to go through these quick.
Prayer team, get up here. There's prayer on the
left and the right. Literally, when I read these,
it will cover all of you. So be ready. There's
like 18 of them. Okay, you've got a sinus tract
blockage. You have infertility issues. You have
an inner ear infection. You have lower left side
of your stomach in your intestines is painful.
You have a big toe that's swollen and hurting.
You have muscular pain on the inner side of your
right hand. Behind the small finger, you have
hip pain. You have infection on one side of your
right nostril. There's someone here named Phillip
that needs prayer. You have an ear infection.
We already said that, I think. Yeah, we did.
Many with anxiety and depression. You have a
painful muscle knot between your neck and shoulder.
You have a broken tendon right behind your wrist.
You're struggling with migraines because of arthritis.
The left side of your hip has pain when you lift
it. You have a broken collarbone. You have a
painful tailbone. There you go. If any of those
are you, don't high -five me and say, that word
was for me. Because you know what I'm going to
tell you? I'm going to grab your hand and bring
you back here. So if you need prayer for anything
or one of those, God bless you. Get up here and
get some prayer. Next week, we kick off our Daniel
series, Chameleon. It's going to be a great September.
God bless you guys. More than life and us I think
we gotta look to the man above