HopeLives365

Mark Finley: My friend, there is something to live for bigger than ourselves. There's something to live for larger than our plans. There's something to live for greater than our own little world.

Guest (Male): This is Hope Lives 365 with Pastor Mark Finley. Today's message, Hallmarks of True Greatness. Enjoy and remember you can always catch up with past messages and stay up to date with Hope Lives 365 and Pastor Mark by going to HopeLives365.com. And now, Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically and mentally challenged, assembled at the starting line of the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, but not exactly in a dash, but with the relish to finish the race and win.

They were lumbering down the track with all their might, except for one boy. As the race began, he stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple times, scraped his knees, and lay on the track crying. At that precise moment, one of the girls in the race looked back over her shoulder and saw the boy lying there, crying, bloody knees.

Then something remarkable happened. As each of the racers heard the boy crying and saw him lying alone on the track, they slowed down, paused, turned around, and ran back to him. One girl with Down syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This'll make it better." Then all nine linked arms and walked to the finish line.

The crowd went wild. Everyone in the stands stood in amazement at this act of unselfish compassion and service. The cheering went on for 10 minutes. You know, that's a lesson for all of us. In the competitive rat race of the 21st century, this act of unselfish kindness by these children speaks to us all.

At a time when blockbuster television productions like American Idol and Dancing with the Stars have captured our national attention with millions of viewers and set the standard for greatness, could this be a time to reevaluate our priorities? There's something fundamentally wrong with our corporate societal thinking if a person's glamour is more important than their goodness, a person's charm is more important than their character.

Something is wrong if a person's appearance is more important than their attitude, a person's investments are more important than their integrity. Something is fundamentally wrong if our money is more important than our motives, our position is more important than our person, our reputation is more important than our character, or our possessions are more important than the people around us.

Something is fundamentally wrong with our society where getting is more important than giving, dominating is more important than serving, competing is more important than cooperating, and having is more important than being. William Wordsworth was certainly right when he mused, "The best portion of a good man's life is his little nameless acts of kindness and love."

And for this, of course, Jesus is our divine model. There's nobody who's ever modeled this principle better than Jesus. His unselfish kindness is a graphic testimony to the universe of the love of God. Jesus' entire life was focused on service. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, comforted the sorrowful, encouraged the depressed, lifted the downtrodden, and forgave the guilty. He was a specialist in giving sinners and outcasts a new start.

I invite you, if you're able, take your Bible and turn to Matthew chapter 20, verses 20 to 28. Jesus shares a vital lesson of selfless service with His disciples. Attitudes of dominance, supremacy, ambition, and pride are certainly not new. These attitudes have characterized society down through the centuries.

And I read the hallmarks of true greatness in Matthew chapter 20, verses 20 to 28. Jesus, speaking to His disciples at a time when they asked the question, "Lord, who's going to be the greatest in Your kingdom?" and Jesus attempting to cure their selfishness, said this: Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right hand and the other on Your left in Your kingdom." But Jesus answered and said, "You don't know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I'm about to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I'm baptized with?"

They said to Him, "We are able." So He said to them, "You'll be indeed drink my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I'm baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it's for those for whom it's prepared by my Father." And when the 10 heard this, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers.

But Jesus called them to Himself and said—now this is fundamental, this is key. Jesus outlines the essence of true Christianity. Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be among you.

Let him who is great among you be your servant, and whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life a ransom for many." You see, the desire to be greatest, the desire to be the best, the desire to be the king of the hill can be traced back to Lucifer's rebellion in heaven.

Remember in Isaiah 14, verses 12 to 14, Lucifer says, "I will ascend into the heights of the Most High. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit on the mount of the congregation in the sides of the north. I will be like the Most High." The disciples were certainly affected with this egotistical pride.

Now let me pause for a moment lest somebody misunderstand. God longs for His people to strive for excellence. The desire to do our best and be our best at whatever we do is certainly part of God's plan for our lives. It's a God-given drive within us. So the question is not about what we desire to achieve, but why we desire to achieve it.

Is our striving for greatness to make a name for ourselves or is it to exalt His name? Is it to bolster our own ego or is it to bring God glory? Is it to satisfy an inner desire to dominate or is it a desire to serve? The disciples were about to graduate from three years and a half in the first Christian university.

Yet Jesus had some concerns. They failed to fully understand the nature of His mission and the purpose of Him bringing them to Himself for these three and a half years. They still had blind spots. They still misunderstood what He was really trying to teach them. So they'd be on their own very soon.

Soon it would be necessary for them to apply the lessons they learned from the world's greatest teacher. Soon the effectiveness of everything He taught them would be tested to the utmost. Soon they would put into practice in the real world all that the Savior had taught them. James and John revealed the attitude of each of these disciples.

They wanted a prominent place in the coming kingdom. Hadn't Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is at hand? Hadn't Jesus promised that he who left all would receive a hundredfold in the kingdom of heaven? Had He not given to the twelve the special promise of positions of high honor in His kingdom?

If Jesus was awarding such positions, James and John certainly, certainly did not want to miss them. They asked their mother to make a special appeal to enable them to have the first place in His kingdom, sit one on the right, one on the left. Now we shouldn't condemn the mother of James and John because really, the scripture says the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking Him for something.

He says, "What do you wish?" It shows that the desire of a mother for her children to have the best, the desire of a mother for her children to excel to the greatest possible heights. What parent's heart cannot identify with this mother's request? What mother doesn't want the best for her children?

What parent does not burst with pride when their son or daughter accomplishes something great? What parent does not want their child to be honored or rewarded for their faithfulness? When awards are given out at business or at school, parents are proud, as they should be, of their children's achievements.

Now who was this mother of Zebedee's sons? This was likely Salome, the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus. James and John then could easily have been cousins of Jesus through Mary's line. Could it be that Aunt Salome was seeking special favors for her sons? She longed for greatness through favoritism.

Someone said it's not what you know, but who you know that makes a difference whether or not you get ahead in life. Salome was playing the relationship card. She may have strongly felt that Jesus owed James and John something special. And did you notice in the scripture that we read in Matthew 20, verse 22 and 23, Jesus' response?

He says, "You don't know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup I'm about to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I'm going to be baptized with?" And they said, "We're able." What's the cup? Do you remember Christ's agonizing plea in Gethsemane? "Oh my Father"—this is Matthew 26, verse 39—"if it's possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."

To accept the cup is to accept the will of God for my life wherever it leads. To accept the cup is to passionately pursue Jesus' plan for my present and my future. It's to make His way first in my life. To accept the cup is the supreme recognition that His ways are always best, even if I don't understand why He's leading me in a specific direction.

Jesus had absolute confidence that James and John would accept the cup. Merely because they did not yet see all things clearly, He didn't write them off as some bad debt. Jesus sees us not as we are, but as we might become refined and ennobled in His grace. Jesus saw James and John not as sons of thunder, longing and competing for first place in His kingdom, but as faithful disciples proclaiming His love.

Jesus saw Peter not as an outspoken, loud-mouthed fisherman, but as the mighty preacher of Pentecost. Jesus saw Thomas not as a cynical doubter, but as a fearless apostle to India. Jesus saw Matthew not as a conniving tax collector, but as a faithful chronicler of the Gospels.

Jesus saw Mary not as a prostitute, a social outcast, and woman of ill repute, but as a woman with a large capacity to love and a leader in His newly found church. Jesus saw Nicodemus not as a legalistic religious bureaucrat, but as a religious leader seeking more of His grace. Jesus saw the demoniacs as good boys gone wrong, but they had a powerful potential to do something significant in His cause, and Jesus saw it in them.

Guest (Male): We'll be right back with Pastor Mark Finley. We thank you for listening and hope you're enjoying today's message. Our mission is to attractively present the Christ-centered biblical truths of scripture in a practical, relevant way to people around the world so that they may experience the abundant life that Christ offers and effectively share with confidence His life-changing truths with others. You can support this ministry and help us reach even more by going to HopeLives365.com/donate. And now, back to Pastor Mark Finley.

Mark Finley: Jesus not only loves you, He believes in you. He sees the latent potential deep within your being. His plans for you are far grander than you could ever imagine. He has dreams for your life. He has a future for you beyond your wildest imagination. Now back to James and John.

They were students in the school of Christ. He saw their potential and they rose to become what He believed them to be all the time. They became what they could be because He saw in them strength, He saw in them hope in the frailty of their human weakness. They became what they could be because He saw that before they ever became it.

Let's trace their lives for a moment. James and John were members of the original twelve disciples. These sons of Zebedee were partners with Peter in a fishing adventure. Their father was a well-known business person of some means in Bethsaida. James and John were children of a middle-class family and had more advantages growing up than most young men of their age.

They were apostles closest to Jesus. They accompanied Jesus in some of His most significant moments. He often took them with Him to prayer at important junctures in His own life. They witnessed the transfiguration, Gethsemane, and they witnessed a number of other important events.

Although they had a very great potential for the cause of Christ, they still had some vital lessons to learn on the meaning of true greatness. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 20, verses 25 to 28: "You know that the Gentiles and the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, but those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be among you, but whoever desires to be great among you, let him be your servant."

Let's summarize Jesus' words. What was He actually saying? In the world we live in, it's quite true that the great man controls others. In the world we live in, it's quite true that the great man is the master at whose command others must leap. In the world we live in, it's quite true that the great man is the Roman governor, the Eastern potentate, the Jewish high priest, the wealthy Middle Eastern businessman.

That was the world that James and John lived in. In the world we live in, it's quite true that the rich, the powerful, the wealthy are considered great. But Jesus says it's not so among you. If you wish to be great, Jesus says, become a servant. In heaven's assessment, service alone is the hallmark of true greatness.

Greatness doesn't consist in commanding others to do things for us; greatness consists in doing things for others. The essence of Jesus' teachings is simply this: God did not save you to be a sensation; He saved you to be a servant. Here is the Christian revolution. Here is a complete reversal of the world's standards.

Here is a completely new set of values. Here is greatness in God's eyes. In the book Desire of Ages on the life of Christ, page 550, I read: Christ was establishing a kingdom on different principles. He called men not to authority but to service, the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak.

Position, power, talent, education place their possessor under greater obligation to serve his fellows. Position, power, talent, education are not entitlements to superiority; they are pathways to service. Rather than being an entitlement, they place us under greater obligation to serve, for as Jesus said, unto whom much is given, much is required.

Let me give you an illustration of true greatness. Pastor Vernel Sims grew up in a rough Boston housing project called Columbia Point. Crime and drugs and gangs dominated the Sims' neighborhood. Vernel had eight brothers and sisters. Although he was a hardworking student with above-average intelligence, college seemed impossible.

His godly mother continually encouraged him with her favorite expression: "Pray and the Lord will somehow make a way." When time came to apply for college, Vernel sent out his applications, was accepted, but had no money. He went to orientation anyway. He sat through the first three days wondering what he would do.

He told a few people of his plight but finally concluded he'd have to pack his bags and make the hundred-mile trek back home. He simply could not afford college. And for some reason, there was no more money available from the loan officer.

But in the providence of God, the heir to a corporate fortune heard of Vernel's plight and sponsored the boy through college and ultimately seminary. Shortly after graduation, Vernel went to his benefactor's office to thank him for all he had done and asked what he might do to pay him back.

Imagine this new college grad asking to a multi-multi-millionaire, "How can I repay you?" The man simply responded, "Help somebody." In other words, you now have graduated. Go out and bless the world. Live life with purpose. My friend listening to this broadcast, you're not here to simply make a name for yourself.

You're here to use everything you have been given to bless others for Christ's sake. Throughout the New Testament, Jesus surprises us. He turns the world's definition of greatness upside down. Let's look at three illustrations of greatness in Matthew's Gospel. The great teacher was attempting to prepare His students for life after graduation.

Oh that God will give us eyes to see what they missed. We begin our search in Matthew 11, verse 11. Jesus makes a statement about John the Baptist. He says, "Assuredly I say to you, among those born of woman there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist." Now look, why John? He was not part of the religious establishment.

He didn't have any academic degrees. He was not rich, famous, good-looking, or glamorous. He was a bearded prophet with a camel's hair cloak wrapped around his body, with a diet of locust pods and wild honey. But this one thing he had, and having it, he became great in the sight of heaven.

He listened to God's voice speaking to his heart and he did God's will at any cost. According to Jesus, greatness consists of discovering God's will for your life and passionately following it. The German philosopher Frederick Hegel said, and he really stated it well: "Life has value only when it has something valuable as its object."

John the Baptist had something worth living for. He had a reason for living. He was called to prepare the world for Christ's first coming. What was John the Baptist's hallmark of true greatness? It was a purpose for living and preparing a world for the coming of Jesus.

In the divine drama of destiny, whoever you are listening to this program, you were born at this time of history, not as some genetic accident. Not merely as skin covering bones, not merely as an advanced protein molecule. You were born at this time of earth's history, at this crisis hour, to share God's love with people around you.

There's somebody in your family that nobody else can reach but you. There's somebody on your work that you can share God's love with. There's that woman going through the trauma of a divorce. There's that man that just lost his wife through cancer.

There's that person who's been given the pink slip—or whatever color it is in your workplace—and they've lost their job. There's that student that's depressed. There's somebody that you can share a word of hope with, somebody you can encourage, somebody you can pray with.

Why was John the Baptist called the greatest? Because he gave his life to service and thought of others rather than himself. Then there's this Canaanite woman. What an unlikely candidate for greatness. Here's a poor Gentile woman with a demon-possessed daughter. The story is fascinating.

She cries out, "Son of David, have mercy on me." In Matthew 15, verse 23, the Bible says Jesus answered her not a word. In the face of her greatest need for a demon-possessed daughter, Jesus is silent. The silence of God is one of the most difficult things to endure. It's one of the greatest tests of faith.

But this is just the beginning of Jesus' strange response in her rise to greatness. She persists, and in verse 24, Jesus again responds oddly. He says, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." In other words, I'm not sent for you. These seem strange words for Jesus to say.

First He's silent, then He says, "I didn't come for you." In other words, you're not born of the right nationality. If you were, I might help you, but too bad for you. This sounds like discrimination, doesn't it? What's going on here? Jesus' intention is to reveal greatness.

Jesus is teaching her and His disciples the essence of true greatness. She persists with simple words: "Lord, help me." And Jesus responds with what could be considered total rejection of her simple plea. "It's not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." Amazingly, this woman does not give up.

She presses Jesus by adding, "Even the dogs get the crumbs from under your table." And Jesus responds, "Oh woman, great is your faith." See, she's great. "Let it be as you desire." And the record states that her daughter was healed that very hour.

Guest (Male): You've been listening to Hope Lives 365 with Pastor Mark Finley. We hope you've enjoyed today's message and remind you that you can find more in our many ministry resources at HopeLives365.com. And you can support this ministry by going to HopeLives365.com/donate. And now, a final thought from Pastor Mark.

Mark Finley: Here Jesus illustrates true greatness for His disciples. Greatness is trusting when God is silent. Greatness is believing when you feel discriminated against. Greatness is persisting when the odds are stacked against you. Greatness is hanging on when you feel rejected.

Greatness is believing that God has a plan for your life and all the demons of hell cannot stop God's plan. Greatness is trusting that in God's time and in God's way, He'll fulfill your dreams and accomplish His plan for your life. Then Jesus does the unthinkable. He picks a little child out of the crowd, sits the child on His lap, and says, "Do you want to see real greatness? Real greatness, look in the eyes of this child."

Matthew 18, verse 4: "Therefore, whoever humbles himself as this little child is great in the kingdom of heaven." Greatness is humbly trusting our heavenly Father as a child trusts an earthly parent.