The Road to Everlasting Greatness and Glory

Two Wonderful Blessings Guaranteed By God

• We are predestined for glory. It is guaranteed!

Romans 8:30–31 (ESV): 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Our Glory is guaranteed because God is for us!

• Therefore, all of us are on to glory. We shall be in the presence of the Trinity. God the father, God the son and God the Holy Spirit. But our greatness in the kingdom is optional. Consider:

Mt 7:13–14 (ESV) — 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. 

Our Greatness is optional

Greatness is optional. If you intend to be great in God's eyes, you must be willing to do difficult things that are contrary to man's ways. He has said “the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

If in eternity you desire to be considered great, your actions in this life will determine your fate.

• Mk 9:33–34 (ESV) — 33 And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you discussing on the way?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. 

5 And he sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” 

Apparently, all of his disciples did not understand the message.

A little bit later, when Jesus was by himself, James and John came to him. Matthew 20:20 also tells us that they came along with their mother.

Mark 10:35–45 (ESV): 35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”

When you pray to God, are you asking or telling him what to do for you?

• • • You need to realize who you’re talking to.

•  36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?” 37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” 

• 38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?”  

True greatness requires great suffering! 

NO CROSS, NO CROWN!

• 39 And they said to him, “We are able.” 

• And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized,

  • They would indeed experience suffering similar to Jesus' but never experience the Father completely turning away from them. Jesus would receive the full wrath of God so that we would be justified.

    • James was killed by Herod. He was the first apostle to drink the cup and experience the baptism.

    • John was the last apostle. He lived through the murder and death of all the others and was banished and exiled on the Isle of Patmos.

  • We identify with his death and resurrection through water baptism.

Ro 8:16–18 (ESV) — 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 

• • • We can expect nothing but suffering and trouble in this world. It is not our home. 

    • But even at that

  • Ro 8:28–31 (ESV) — 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 

Jesus goes on

• Mk 10:40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” 

  • This was not up to Christ. God the Father had already determined who that would be. 

• 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 

  • James and John had come to Jesus secretly because they knew they were favorites along with Peter but they thought they could have it their way if they spoke to him privately. Notice, they excluded Peter when they went to Jesus! 

    • Come on, Jesus, you can tell us what position you will give us.

• • All of the disciples wanted to be great, and they were angry because James and John thought themselves better than the rest of them!

  • The audacity that they could go to him thinking he would give in to them.

  • Jesus had tried to make this point clear before

• 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 

  • This speaks to governmental overreach. 

    • Samuel had prophesied it. 1 Sam 8:10-18

    • people rule to control others.

    • The world seeks power!

    • Political parties don’t care about the people, they care about power!

  • History has shown us that the problem with most human governments is that they will eventually fail.

    • Including ours. We are beginning to become a true democracy, and if we do, the majority will rule over the minority and lord over them.

  • Where now are the great people of yesteryear? Greatness on this earth is short-lived. You can have a few minutes of recognition, and it will pass, and you will be forgotten.

    • You can be like them, dead and forgotten.

• 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 

  • See now: There will be some who will be considered great in his kingdom!

  • The way to true greatness is not by trying to be great. It is achieved by having an attitude to serve and be a slave to others.

• 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 

  • Whoever wants to be great, must be a servant.

  • Whoever wants to be first or the greatest must be the slave of all of them.

• 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

  • Jesus was the supreme example of the greatest servant the world has ever known.

  • 2000 years after he lived, nobody has affected the world like him. In his day and time, he called himself a servant of the people and the people didn’t know who he was, but today… I can hear people say

    • he is Lord of lords

    • he is King of Kings

    • he is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end

    • there is no other name that is as sweet as his name

    • he is the bright and morning star

    • and though he came to be a servant he will come back and reign for evermore and

      • every knee will bow

      • and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord!

      •  

  • Name great people of the Bible we remember who were not great in their day

    • Where are the great men of the world today?

  • Today, you can also be great. You can do it man’s way, and everything you do will fade away. Or you can do it God’s way, and you can serve one another and sit in the presence of greatness eternally.

  • Now choose this day, who you will serve.

    • Yourself or your brother

    • Whoever desires to be great must become a servant to all others.

• We are predestined for glory. It is guaranteed!

Romans 8:30–31 (ESV): 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. 

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Glory is guaranteed for us! Greatness is optional!

• 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 

  • •  

Life is choice-driven; you will live or die by the choices you make. 

Do you choose to be great, then choose to be a great servant.