("Invincible" – Movie Clip from ScreenVue featuring the Philadelphia Eagles open try-out)
Oh, to be great! Each and every morning, before the sun comes up, grown men punish their out of shape bodies on the basketball court at the YMCA in an effort to live out a dream of greatness.
How many men, as just young boys across the state of Kentucky, shot baskets in a drive-way. And as we lined up to take the shot, we thought in our heads (enact vision – but with common scenario). . . Right? Of course not. It was the game winning shot. The shot to end all shots. The championship basket. Because we all want to be great!
My Map to Greatness @ 25:
- Master’s Completed & Ordained
- Ph.D. by 35
- District Superintendent by 45
- General Superintendent by 55
Some people think such visions and aspirations of greatness are carnal. They must be suppressed. They are not appropriate wants and desires for a Christian.
But you know what? It isn’t prosperity gospel when I tell you this morning that. . .
A. GOD GUARANTEES OUR GREATNESS
It’s already mapped out and prepared for us. We are going to be great. There is no doubt about it.
Listen to these promises from God’s Word –
“To Him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My Throne.” (Revelation 3:21)
How does that sound for greatness? To sit with the Lord, on His throne. Does it get any greater than that?
Look at what Jesus taught with some of the first words of His first sermon.
“Whoever does them and teaches them [My commands] will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19)
Not, might attain greatness. Not, may be one of 5 lucky winners to be great. But, will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Again, how does that sound for greatness? It’s one thing to be called great on a basketball court, or in a board room, or within a community. . .but to be called great in the very kingdom of heaven. That would be great!
In fact, if I might take those verses one step further. We know that God wants us to overcome like He speaks of in Revelation. We know that God desires that we obey his commandments like Jesus talked about in Matthew. So we know that God not only guarantees our greatness, but. . .
B. GOD DESTINED US FOR GREATNESS
You see, we desire to be great precisely because we were meant to be great. God has built into our spirits a longing to be great. It is part of our divine calling. In fact, you will never, anywhere in this book, find Jesus rebuking anyone for wanting to be great.
Because, as with all the longings of our heart, there is no problem with longing to be great. It is part of who God made us to be. There is only a problem when we attempt to fulfill the longing in the wrong way.
So we knock people off the hill on our way to the top. . .and now we’ve got a problem. We back stab someone in the office. . .and now we’ve got a problem. We strive for worldly acclaim and honor resulting in a spirit of pride and egotism. . .and now we’ve got a problem. An age old problem.
Because thousands of years ago Jesus even had to look at the church people of His day and say, “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues.” (Luke 11:43) And that’s not the kind of greatness God made us for.
And as with all of these longings here is the really ironic part. In all our earthly efforts to attain greatness, we are left feeling empty, when an even greater greatness is right in front of us for the taking. God satisfies our longing to be great by granting us, his Bride, a position of authority that passes even the highest ranking of angels. A seat on His throne. According to Revelation 5:10, a kingdom on earth to reign over. And the title of greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
So what’s the catch? Well, God guarantees our greatness. He has destined us for it. But God has a bit different guide down the path to greatness. Instead of asking Tom-Tom how to get there, we have to ask God-God. And His road to greatness, His directions are a bit counter cultural. But if we will buy into them. Immeasurable greatness awaits us.
C. GOD’S GUIDE TO GREATNESS
1. Willingness
Turn with me to Exodus 24. If you received the 40 Days of Prayer eDevotionals, brace yourself for some repeat. But it is just far too applicable to this teaching to ignore. Exodus 24:12 (read through verse 18).
If I read this right, which it is highly possible that I don’t, but I don’t see Joshua ever leaving Moses’ side. Sounds like he went right up the mountain with him. And how did he get that great gig? As an assistant.
Jump ahead to Exodus 33. Exodus 33:7 (read through verse 11). Is that good stuff or what? When Moses leaves the tent of meeting so that all that is left there is just the very presence of God, who stays? Joshua. The assistant.
You see, long before Joshua was “great”. Long before he led the people into battle, and victory in conquering the promised land. Long before he was even chosen as one of the 12 spies. 12 guys out of a million plus. He proved his worthiness for greatness by being willing to be an assistant.
One ministry leader tells the story of a summer during his early years in Bible college. He became completely convinced that all his fellow students were out planting churches that would grow to a thousand members by the time fall arrived and they had to return to school, but he willingly took the only summer job he could find. It was at the last full-service gas station in town. Not only was he pumping gas while his friends preached the Gospel, he was the only one in town doing so!
But looking back on that job, he describes it as incredibly beneficial to his ministry. He rationalized that almost everyone buys gasoline. In watching the customers come through the station, he learned more about human nature than he did from any psychology class.
He learned about doing the job you have until the job you want comes alone. He learned about doing the little things well.
Which leads to the second key in God’s guide to greatness. . .
2. Faithfulness
One of the most, if not the most important factor involved in determining greatness in the age to come is that of faithfulness. How does the old adage go, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.”
If you have ever served in a leadership position in a church or organization, how many volunteers have you had to track down due to neglected commitments? Teachers that didn’t show up. Trash that didn’t get dumped. And these are just the little things.
On the big end of the spectrum are employees that betray their fiduciary responsibilities at the company (i.e. Salvation Army Kettle worker – first in 25 years). Married individuals who are unfaithful with their spouses.
You see, when we attempt to fulfill the longing for greatness in the world’s terms, we are looking for an accumulation of big titles. This past week I had the opportunity to look at a minister’s resume. Four pages long. And he is younger than me. Filled with degrees, and positions, and jobs, and activities, and leadership responsibilities, and on and on and on.
God’s guide to greatness is not about an accumulation of positions and titles. It is about being faithful. Give me five people who will each do one thing faithfully over 20 people who will each try and tackle 10 things inconsistently.
Turn with me to Matthew 25. Matthew 25:14 (read through verse 30).
Notice the comment to the servants who have increased the talents. What are they called? “Good and faithful.” This parable is a parable about being faithful with what God has provided to us. And within that context, look at the response of the Master to the servant who did nothing with just one talent. Why so harsh? Because faithfulness is huge in God’s guide to greatness.
Over the past year you have heard me mention the International House of Prayer, IHOP, on a number of occasions. Listen to this story from that church body. (Read p. 87 – 88, "Seven Longings of the Human Heart")
Do you want to be great? Well, let me ask you. . .can you be counted on to be faithful in the little things? Because that is a key to greatness in the kingdom of God.
One more. One more key in God’s guide to greatness. . .
3. Resisting Self-Promotion
Self-promotion is so much a part of our culture that we have a difficult time even detecting it in our own lives. We tell students you need a multi-page resume. Otherwise, you won’t stand out above the other candidates. So we self-promote.
We tell employees that your boss won’t be able to remember all the “little” things you have done for the company and the extra efforts you have made. So you better self-promote.
I even wonder if my wife will notice the dishes I unloaded from the dishwasher, or the laundry that I folded. So I self-promote. It’s just a part of our culture, and who we are.
It begins at a very early age with a wonderful tradition of our society. The Line Leader. Everyone remember what it was like to be line leader at school. Heaven help the poor kid who is sick or misses their day to be line leader. It is the chance to be first in line. The chance to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. The chance to be the big cheese. To self-promote. And from seven to seventy, not much changes.
Check out Matthew 19 with me. Matthew 19:16 (read through verse 26).
Now watch this. Peter has been listening in to all this. He has watched the rich man sorrowfully walk away. And He sees the door open for self-promotion. Verse 27 (read).
Did you see that? Peter says, “That rich guy, he walked away. He wasn’t willing to leave it all behind. Not us Jesus. We left everything. We followed you. So what’s in it for us now? Here’s my resume. Here’s all I have done for you. What’s my reward?”
Verse 28 (read through verse 30).
The cross is that ultimate model of God’s guide to greatness. And not just from Jesus standpoint. Remember, there were two others with Him that day. One of them begged Jesus for forgiveness, and must have been utterly shocked when in the last moments of his life he crossed over from this world into paradise.
Imagine this former thief walking the streets of gold, chocked at the robe he was given. Surprised by the greeting he received from the angels. So he looks at the angels and asks what this is all about. And one of the angels turns to him and say, “You don’t understand – you’re a king here.”
And the thief looks at the angel, stunned, and says, “A king? If I had known I was a king, I would have never lived as a thief!”
In our longing for greatness, many of us live as thieves. Stealing honor and acclaim, and promotion from others so that we might experience greatness here in earth. Unaware that our destiny is a far greater greatness in eternity. It’s God’s Christmas gift to you. And you may not have even known that you wanted it.
Let’s pray.
