Have you ever had a big decision in life and didn’t know what you should do?
You know, like you graduate from high school or college and need to decide what the next step is?
Well, first just make sure you make a decision.
As one philosopher noted, “Don’t let your decision-making skills resemble a squirrel crossing the street.”
Second, don’t ever underestimate your opportunities.
George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States is known for making fun of himself and at the 2015 graduation of Southern Methodist University he said…
George W. Bush
To those of you who received honors, awards, and distinctions, I say well done. And to the C students, I say you too, can be president of the United States.
So, don’t hem and haw or bob and weave or popcorn and ketchup – just make decisions.
And don’t underestimate your opportunities.
In fact, there is a way to make your opportunities great.
There is a way to truly make great decisions in life.
How?
Well, you have to pursue greatness.
How do you do that?
Let’s find out.
One day the disciples of Jesus were having a heated conversation.
Listen to Luke 9 beginning with verse 46…
46 An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest.
Who was the greatest?
Now, that is a very interesting argument for this particular moment in time.
Why?
Think of it this way…
What’s your dream car or your dream truck or your dream motorcycle?
Imagine tomorrow morning you win that dream ride, and you also win free food for life at the International House of Pancakes.
Nothing can “stack up” to a prize like that, right?
Now that you have your new ride and your new lifetime of vittles, are you going to wake up the next morning and ride a skateboard to the gas station and get a breakfast burrito that’s been sitting under the heat lamp since last Tuesday?
No, you are going to take your new wheels to IHOP and get the Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity Combo with two strips of bacon – because the only thing better than two strips of bacon is twenty-two strips of bacon.
Well, it wasn’t the IHOP in Nazareth, but the day before this argument, Peter and James and John were up on a mountain with Jesus.
And something happened up on that mountain – they caught an amazing and unexplainable glimpse of the glory and power and majesty of Jesus.
Oh yeah, and while they were up there, they also saw Moses and Elijah – you know just a typical day up on a mountain with two superheroes who had been in heaven for about 850 years – no big whoop.
Then they came down off the mountain with Jesus and they all joined up with the other nine disciples.
And the very next day Jesus miraculously healed a boy that was possessed by a wild and destructive demon, so…
Shiny Jesus up on the mountain, radiant with glory
Almighty Jesus having radical authority over demons
And in the middle of all of that, the disciples decided to have an argument over which one of them was the greatest.
Really?
That’s like skateboarding for a week-old burrito.
Bless their hearts!
You would think at least one of them would say…
“Hey guys, you know what, and look I’m spitballing here, but maybe Jesus is the greatest?”
How could they miss something so obvious?
How could they miss the greatness of the Son of God?
How could they end up in an argument like this?
Maybe it was because of jealousy.
Maybe Peter was bragging about being up on the mountain with Jesus and Moses and Elijah.
“Yeah, we were there. I got Elijah’s autograph and I’m getting ready to post my selfie with Moses.”
And the nine that weren’t up there started thinking to themselves…
“Why didn’t we get to go?”
“Why did Jesus leave us out?”
“Why weren’t we invited to mountainpalooza?”
So, maybe it was jealousy.
Or maybe the argument started from a lust for power.
The disciples were just like other people.
They were hoping that the Messiah was going to be a great king.
And that the great king was going to take over and conquer the Roman empire and start a new kingdom.
And now here they are fresh on the heels of the amazing firsthand report of the unexplainable radical, majestic glory of Jesus up on that mountain.
And then they all watched Jesus with just a word cast out a violent and powerful demon.
And in their minds maybe they started saying to themselves…
“Yes – that’s what I’m talking about!”
“It’s all coming together now!”
“Jesus is breaking out of his shell!”
“The time has arrived for him to take over!”
“Here come our promotions!”
And they started thinking:
“But wait, who’s going to be the starting quarterback?
“Who’s going to get the corner office?”
“Who’s going to be the chairman of the board?”
So, maybe the argument started because they were stirred with a sudden lust for power and position.
A sudden lust to be important and have special privileges – to be on the in.
Maybe it was jealousy
Maybe it was a lust for power
But ultimately, all arguments start for one reason.
And what’s that reason?
James 4:1-2
What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel.
Arguments start because somebody is not getting their way.
This is true no matter where the argument starts or who the argument is with – from the disciples to your home to your school to the government to the church – “who is the greatest” is everywhere.
My way is better
My music is better
My plan is better
My politics are better
My theology is better
My Italian Crème cake is better
You know, I’ll be the judge of that last one – you can drop your entries off in my office any time this week.
These were grown men, arguing about their importance.
I’m so glad that when we watch the news or listen to talk radio or look on our favorite political websites or go to church meetings we don’t see that kind of stuff anymore.
These were grown men who were the first Christian leaders arguing about which one of them should be in charge.
After 2,000 years, you think we would have learned something from them by now.
But from the White House to the State House to the church house to your house – we are still arguing and fighting to get our way.
Now someone might say…
“Well, I’ve never told anyone that I’m the greatest.”
Listen, don’t believe the Devil’s lie that just because you don’t say something out loud that it isn’t true.
Our claim to be the greatest at home sounds like this…
“Why do I have to take out the trash?”
“Why did she get new shoes?”
“Why does he get to go hunting?”
“Why does she get to go to the beach?”
Our claim to be the greatest at school sounds like this…
“Why does she like him?”
“Why does he always make A’s?”
“Why does she always get picked?”
“Why am I always riding the bench?”
Our claim to be the greatest in our voting district sounds like this…
“Why can’t those Democrats see they are crazy?”
“Why can’t those Republicans dial it back a minute?”
And our claim to be the greatest at church sounds like this…
“Why are they in charge of that?”
“Why didn’t they ask me to teach?”
“Why don’t they sing the music I like?”
“Don’t they know how long we’ve been members?”
At home or at work or at school or at church or in line at the grocery store we can all find ourselves being self-centered and self-serving.
And we are in good company because that’s exactly what was happening with the disciples of Jesus – but something happens in the middle of their argument.
47 But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart,
Oops!
They got caught!
They weren’t having this argument with Jesus.
Maybe they were off drinking coffee in the breakfast joint while Jesus was still helping people in need.
But Jesus wasn’t far away.
And he knew what they were thinking.
How did he respond?
Did he scream and yell at them and break into a lecture?
Did he walk ahead of them and ignore them for the rest of the day?
Did he tell them just to go on back home, because he was going to go find some better disciples?
No.
Listen to what happened next…
47 But Jesus…took a child and stood him by His side,
Jesus was going to use this moment of selfishness and pride to teach them God’s truth.
And to do that he brings a child to stand next to him.
Now at first glance this doesn’t seem like a big deal, right?
I mean kids were always around Jesus – he was gracious and kind and encouraging – he was the kind of guy anyone of any age would want to hang around.
But think about how we think about kids these days…
What’s the quickest way to make someone really mad?
Just say or do something negative or rude towards their kids or their grandkids – that’ll do the trick.
Likewise, if you want to appeal to a person’s mind, then say something good about their kids or their grandkids.
But here’s the thing – that attitude towards children didn’t exist in ancient times.
In ancient times children were supposed to be seen and not heard – some still think that way.
So, Jesus pulling a child into the conversation to deal with the sinful, selfish, prideful attitude of the disciples is not an accident.
Someone said you can tell how a person values life by how they treat kids.
Are children a bother to you?
When a child has a question do you automatically shut them down until the grownups finish talking?
So, why did Jesus bring a kid into the conversation?
Listen to verse 48…
48 and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me,
48 and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me;
48 for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great."
You know what’s great about little kids?
They don’t care who you are.
Your name
Your accomplishments
Your titles
Your positions
They don’t mean anything to them.
A little kid doesn’t care about who the greatest is.
You know why?
Because the greatest person to a kid is the person who can provide positive answers to questions like this…
“Can you change my diaper?”
“Do you have some juice?”
“Can you score me some ice cream?”
“Do you have any toys in that bag?”
Little kids…
Don’t look for status and rank
Don’t play the stock market
Don’t bring anything to the table for the mortgage
Don’t bring anything to add to the retirement account
A little child doesn’t bring things – a little child needs things.
William Barclay
And so Jesus is saying, “If a man welcomes the poor, ordinary people, the people who have no influence, and no wealth, and no power, the people who need things done for them, then he's welcoming me. And more than that, he's welcoming God.”
So, here’s a heart question for you…
How are you at welcoming God?
It can be directly seen in how you treat children.
Yesterday, our 4-11 ministry cared for some special needs kids – that means some of our adults and some of our youth helped people that don’t have influence or wealth or power – they helped people who need things.
How are you at receiving Jesus?
How are you at welcoming God?
Listen to Barclay’s thought in reverse…
Barclay reversed
If you refuse to welcome the poor, ordinary people, the people who have no influence, and no wealth, and no power, the people who need things done for them, then you are not welcoming Jesus. And more than that, you are not welcoming God.
Think about the kinds of people that Jesus welcomed.
Think about the kinds of people Jesus stood next to…
Lepers
People possessed with demons
The blind
The deaf
The crippled
Pagans
Non-Jews
The homeless
Prostitutes
Children
He stood next to them and he welcomed them toward God.
Someone once used your dinner table as a way to help us think about this attitude toward life.
Imagine that you receive a call from one of the disciples of Jesus – let’s go with Bartholomew.
And let’s say that Bart is the advance man for Jesus – he plans all the advance details for the next village trip.
And Bartholomew calls you and says, “Jesus would like to eat dinner at your house next Friday night.”
What are you going to do?
You are going to make sure your house is spick and span.
You are going to make sure all the fine china and stemware are out on the table.
You might pay some college students from the community symphony to come and provide some dinner music.
You might really splurge and pull out the fresh, rich, Colombian coffee.
You might prepare the meal yourself or you might get the best caterer in town to lay out a marvelous meal.
Jesus turns to his disciples and says…
“If you guys aren’t willing to go to that same trouble for a toddler or an acne-faced teenager or someone else who doesn’t add anything to your bottom line or bring anything to the table, then you have not really received me.”
They were arguing about who was most important and Jesus tells them…
“Look, if you are trying to gain a position of importance by being praised and recognized and clapped for during the morning worship service, then you are just proving that you don’t know me.”
Graduates, today you might be thinking, “What am I going to do with my life?”
Or hopefully you might be thinking, “What does God want me to do with my life?”
No matter where you are or what the situation is.
No matter who is involved or when it is happening.
This is what God wants you to do…
Stand next to Jesus.
Follow his lead.
And how did Jesus lead?
The leadership of Jesus looks like this…
Be kind
Be fair
Treat people the way you want to be treated
Love people the way you want to be loved
Don’t think too highly of yourself
Make God the most important focus of your life
That’s what God wants you to do.
And back to our original question – how can you pursue greatness?
So have you ever had a big decision you had to make in life? Big decision. Not really sure what you were going to do, You know, a big decision like graduating from high school or college and having to figure out what's next big decisions in life? Well, just a couple of things I want to encourage you if if you're in the middle of a big decision, whether you're a graduate or someone else, if you have a big decision right now, here's what I would encourage you to do. Just be sure you make a decision. Be sure you make a decision, as one philosopher says, don't let your decision making skills resemble a squirrel crossing the street, right? Don't don't be scattered brain. Just just make a decision. Look for that decision 2nd. Don't ever underestimate the possibilities in life. Don't ever underestimate the opportunities in life. George W. Bush was the 43rd president of the United States. He is known for his self deprecation, meaning he knows how to make fun of himself. And in 2015 he was speaking at the graduation ceremony at Southern Methodist University and this is what he said to those of you who received honors, awards and distinctions, I say well done and to the c students, I say you too can be president of the United States, so don't him in hall, don't bob and weave, don't popcorn and ketchup. Don't do anything outside of making decisions, make decisions and don't underestimate the opportunities and the possibilities that you have in life. In fact, there is a way for you to make your opportunities great in a sense, there is a way that you can make great decisions consistently in life. Well, how in the world can you do that? Well, you have to pursue greatness. What does that mean? Let's see if we can find out Luke. Chapter nine, beginning with verse 46, The disciples of Jesus were having a heated argument one day and we find beginning in verse 46, these words and arguments started among them as to which of them might be the greatest, who is the greatest? That was the argument they were having. Now, this is a very interesting argument for this moment in history and I'll tell you why in just a second, but let's see if we can kind of step into it a little bit. What is your dream car? Your dream car, your dream truck, your dream motorcycle, whatever it is, what what is your dream ride? Okay, got it in your head. Now, imagine that tomorrow you win that dream ride, you get it. And in addition, you also win a lifetime of free food at the International House of Pancakes. Alright. Free ride lifetime. Free food, International House of pancakes. Right? I mean, there's nothing that can stack up to that prize, right? You knew it was coming. So, you got your dream ride, you've got free vittles for life on the next morning. Are you going to ride a skateboard to the gas station to get a breakfast burrito that's been under the heat lamp for a week? No, and if you if you do then we're worried about you. No, no. You're not going to do that. You're going to get in your new wheels and you're going to go to Ihop and you're going to get the rooty tooty fresh and fruity combo with two strips of bacon. Because the only thing better than two strips of bacon is 22 strips of bacon. Right? I mean, you're you're going to get the combo, you're going to have a good meal and you're going to have a good ride. Well, it wasn't the Ihop of Nazareth but Peter James and john had just had a pretty incredible moment. They had been up on a mountain with jesus and while they were up on the mountain something that's really unexplainable, they they saw jesus, they caught this glimpse of his glory, his majesty, this this radiance of his divinity, they saw something they couldn't explain and they also saw moses and elijah. So yeah, I mean just a typical day on the mountain where you see two superheroes have been in heaven for 850 years, you know, no big whoop, just a thing. So jesus and Peter James and john, they come down off the mountain, they join up with the other disciples and then the next day after this incredible day, the next day jesus miraculously heals a boy that had a destructive evil strong demon, he cast a demon out of this boy. So you have shiny jesus up on the mountain full of radiance and glory and then right after that you got mighty jesus having authority over everything in the universe including demons inside of a boy and the middle of all of that. That's the moment that the disciples said hey wonder which one of us is the greatest, I wonder which one of us is the greatest, bust their hearts. I mean that's like riding your skateboard to the gas station for a week old burrito. It doesn't make any sense. But that was the discussion, you'd think at least one of them would say hey you know I'm spitballing here, but maybe jesus is the greatest. I don't know, it could be wrong, maybe it's jesus, but they missed it. How how could they miss it? How could they miss the magnitude of the majesty of jesus? How could they miss the radiance of jesus? How could they miss the greatness of the son of God? How could they end up in an argument about themselves in that moment? How? Or maybe it was jealousy. Maybe it was just pure jealousy. Maybe, maybe peter was bragging about being up on the mountain. Oh yeah, we were up on the mountain, I was there. Yeah, I got Elijah's autograph, I'm going to post myself with moses man, I was there and the other guys are like, well hang on, wait a minute. Why were we there? Why didn't jesus take us? Why were we left out of mountain pollution? Why were we left down here? What what happened? Why are we left out? Maybe the disciples look around and they were a little jealous or maybe there was a less for power. Maybe that's why they ended up in this argument because there was a lust for power, Look, the disciples were no different than anyone else. Everybody in the world heard about this messiah and they thought oh this is great, the messiah, he's going to come, he's going to be this great king, he's going to make everything right, he's going to come and and end the roman empire, he's going to give us freedom, he's going to start this new kingdom, everything is going to be great, everything is going to be fantastic, The disciples thought nothing different than anyone else and now here they are, on the heels of this amazing thing, this, this radiance of jesus, this mountaintop experience, unlike any mountaintop experience and so they're now looking at the situation, they see jesus healed this boy and they go ok, yeah, this is what I'm talking about now, everything's coming together. Jesus is breaking out of his shell, He's starting to do his thing. This is what we've been waiting for. And now, here come our promotions. Maybe it's a lust for power, maybe a less for position. Maybe they started thinking, hey, he's going to be in charge, who's going to be starting quarterback, who's going to get the corner office is going to be the chairman of the board. And their minds start chasing all these different directions in this moment of excitement. So maybe their arguments started because they had this sudden lust for power position for someone to be in charge and for it to be them might have been less for power. It might have been a desire for special privileges to be on the end, or it could have been jealousy, It could've been one of those two things. But here's the thing. At the end of the day, all arguments have the same reasoning behind them. All arguments and here's the reasoning. The New Testament. James says this in James chapter four. What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this that your passions are at war within you? You desire and you do not have so you murder you covet and cannot obtain. So you fight and you core arguments start because somebody's not getting their way. Doesn't matter where the argument is at home at work, at church with the disciples of jesus. It doesn't matter anywhere. And everywhere we go. The question is being asked all the time. Hey, who's the greatest? You know, who's the greatest? My way is better. My music is better. My plan is better, My politics are better, My theology is better. My italian cream cake is better. Now. I wouldn't mind being the judge of that. So you can drop off your entries in my office any time this week and we'll decide who has the best italian cream cake. No problem. I'll be in charge of that. These were grown men, these were grown people arguing about how important they were, they were arguing about who was the most important. You know, it's great though. I am so glad that today when we turn on the tv, when we listen to talk radio, when we go to our political websites, when we go to church meetings, we never see anything like this, ever. Right. We never see anybody trying to say that they're the greatest. They're the most important or their ideas are the way to go. We never see that right grown men who by the way, were the first leaders of the church. These are the first christian leaders and they were arguing about which one of them should be in charge. You think after 2000 years we would have learned a lesson, but we really haven't have we we haven't learned the lesson. From the White House to the state house, to the church house to your house. We're still arguing about getting our way is the pattern of sin is the pattern of the world? Wouldn't it be great to break the pattern? Now somebody might say this, look, I have never told anyone that I'm the greatest. Okay, don't believe the lie. That just because you don't say something out loud that it's not true. See when we look at our lives, we'll see this concept of wanting to be the greatest we could look at home. The way being the greatest sounds at home. It sounds like this. Why do I have to take out the trash? Well, why did she get new shoes? Why is it that he gets to go to the beach? And why does she get to go to the lake? And why does he get to go golfing? Are claiming to be greatest? That school sounds like this. Why does she like him? Well, why does he always make the A's? Why does she always get picked? Why am I always riding the bench down at our local voting precinct? You know what the greatest sounds like? It sounds like this. Why can't the democrats just realize that they're crazy and why can't the republicans just chill for a minute? That's what the greatest sounds like there. And in church was the greatest sound like a church? What church? It sounds like this? Well, why don't they sing the music that I like? Why, why are they in charge of that? How come? I haven't been asked to be a teacher, don't they know how long we've been members anywhere and everywhere we go homework, church school in the line at the grocery store, who is the greatest is always around, it's around us and sometimes it's in our hearts and in our minds this question of who is the greatest and who is the greatest. It's just another way of saying that we are being self serving and self centered. We do not, we desire and we don't have so we try to get whatever the get might be so selfish, self centered and self serving, that's how we are. But here's the deal, we're in good company because that's exactly what's happening with the disciples of jesus, they're in this argument about who the greatest is, but something interesting happens in the middle of the argument 1st 47 but jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, Woo, jesus heard him, Jesus wasn't in the conversation with them, they weren't having this argument with jesus, maybe they had stepped into the local coffee joint, they were sitting around having coffee and talking all this out and Jesus was still out in the streets, in the street, you know, healing people, but they weren't all in the conversation together, but Jesus still knew what was going on, He wasn't that far away, he heard them arguing over who was the greatest and how did he respond? Did he step up and stop his foot down and give them a lecture? Did he do this kind of power palette where he just walked out in front of him, away from them and wouldn't have anything to do with him the rest of the day, Did you tell him just to go back home? He'd find some better disciples? No, that's not what he did at all. What did he do? Look at the next part of Verse 47, but Jesus took a child and stood him by his side. Jesus was going to use this argument this moment of selfishness to help them see a picture of God's truth, and the way he's going to do that is to bring a child to come up and stand next to him. Now at first glance, this doesn't seem to be a really big deal, right? I mean, there are always families around jesus, there were always kids around jesus. I mean Jesus was gregarious, jesus was kind and encouraging and helpful and healing anybody of any age would want to hang around with jesus. So it's not strange that there would be a child in the mixed of this conversation, but think about how we think about kids in these days, you know, one of the quickest ways that you can make somebody really angry say something bad about their kids or grandkids, right? That'll work, you know, you'll get them angry really fast, you know? Likewise, if you want to appeal to someone, if you want to win somebody over, say something good about their kids or their grandkids, right, And it has an impact immediately. Neither one of those attitudes existed in the ancient world and the time that Jesus lived, Children were looked down upon the notion that it's ok if they're seen, but they shouldn't be heard. So, the picture that jesus is painting here is not accidental on purpose, he's bringing a child to come and stand next to him while they are talking about who the greatest is, who is the most important, who should be clapped for the most. In that conversation, Jesus brings a child up next tune. Somebody has said that you can tell how much a person values life by how they treat Children. So how do you treat kids? What was your attitude toward kids? Because our attitude toward kids, according to Jesus, reflects our attitude toward life and really our attitude even beyond that. What does that mean beyond that? Well, Jesus is going to tell us, Why did Jesus bring that kid to come, stand next to him, listen to what he says in verse 48, and Jesus said to them, whoever receives this child in my name receives me and whoever receives me receives him, who sent me for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great, you know what's great about little kids, They don't care who you are. They don't, I don't care about your title. They don't care about your position. They don't care about your accomplishments. They don't care about your awards or your rewards. They just don't care about all the things that we make the most important. And you know why they don't care. They don't care. Because the greatest person to a kid is the person who has some answers to questions like this. Hey, can you change my diaper? Can you get me some juice? Can you score me some ice cream? Do you have any toys in that bag? See, the greatest person to a child is the person in that moment that can love them, encourage them. Be kind of them meet some need for them. Little kids don't look for status. They don't look for rank. They don't play the stock market. They don't bring anything to the table when it comes to your mortgage. They don't they don't bring anything to the table when it comes to your retirement account. No, little kids don't bring things. They need things. Well, Barkley said this. And so jesus is saying, if a man welcomes the poor, ordinary people, the people who have no influence, no wealth, no power, the people who need things done for them, then he's welcoming me. And more than that, he's welcoming God. So his question for your heart, In my heart, how are you at welcoming God? How are you at welcoming jesus? How are you in listening to these words from jesus? Because jesus said that the way you treat Children is a direct picture of whether you welcome God, that's kind of strong. Yesterday, our 4 11 ministry Minister to some special needs kids to come out to Eudora farms to see the animals grilled out some burgers for him here at the church. What they did. Some of our adults and some of our youth, they served some people who, according to Barkley, have no influence, no wealth, no power and need things. So that means yesterday, our church through those people for those families, welcome to God. They received jesus, How are you receiving, jesus? How are you at welcoming God? How are you in your relationship with kids or at the very least in your attitude with kids, but not just kids. The folks who are in need listen to barclays, fault in reverse. Or maybe we could say the opposite. If you refuse to welcome the poor. If you refuse to welcome ordinary people, the people who have no influence, no wealth, no power, the people who need things done for them, then you are not welcoming jesus and more than that, you are not welcoming God. Think about the kind of people that jesus hung out with. Think about the kind of people that stood next to jesus leapers, People possessed with demons, the blind, the laying the deaf, crippled pagans, non jews, the homeless prostitutes, Children, those were people that stood next to jesus people that jesus went and stood next to and help them try to find God directed them toward God, welcomed them to God. Someone used your dinner table as a way to help us think about this attitude of life. Imagine that you get a call from one of the disciples of jesus. Let's go with Bartholomew, we don't talk about him a whole lot. Let's just say that Bart is the advanced man for jesus, he's the guy that sets up all the plans for the next village that they're going into. And Bart gives you a call and says, hey, jesus would like to come have dinner at your house on friday night, what are you going to do? You're going to make the place *** and span right, you're going to pull out the china and the, and the nice stemware, you're going to maybe go to the community symphony and hire some college students to come play some dinner music for you. You might even break out the fresh rich Colombian coffee, you know, I mean, you might really make it happen, you might make a great meal yourself or you might have the best caterer in town come in and put on a marvelous spread, but you are going to do it up, you're going to do everything you can to make that night good and helpful and special. So jesus turns to his disciples and he says, if you guys aren't willing to go to that same kind of trouble for a bratty toddler or an acne face, teenager or any other person on the planet that does nothing for your bottom line. Any other person on the planet that can't repay you, That can't give you a shout out on social media, they can't do anything to bring you attention. If you can't do that for anyone, then Jesus says, you are showing that you have not received me. That's such a strong statement, you would think that jesus would pat it a little bit, but he didn't. They were arguing about who was most important, They were arguing about who was the greatest. And jesus said, look, if this argument, it's about you having position about you being recognized, about you having a plaque somewhere about your name getting printed somewhere about people clapping for you somewhere. If this is about you getting recognition, then you are only proving that you don't know me. You're only proving that you haven't received me, that you aren't welcoming God. So graduates, you are in a season of life. Or maybe you're thinking, man, what am I going to do with my life? You're not thinking about being the greatest. You know, you just want a job. You know, you're not thinking about being the most important. You're just hoping something works out that you get into college, that you get a job, that something good happens. You're just thinking, man, what am I going to do with my life? To encourage some of you graduates? Some of the rest of us are still in that conversation too. Right? There's a lot of adults asking that same question now. What we love to hear you say is what is God want me to do with my life? And that question I have an answer for you, I can't tell you where to go to school or or where to work or or who to marry or what kind of car to buy, I can't tell you skip the week old burrito, okay, just go to hell, but if you're looking for an answer to the question, what is God want me to do? I got an answer for, here's what God wants you to do, he wants you to stand next to jesus, that's what he wants you to do, he wants you to stand next to jesus and he wants you to follow the lead of jesus. So how does jesus lead? What does the leadership of jesus look like? This is what the leadership of jesus looks like. Be kind be fair, treat other people the same way that you want to be treated, love other people the same way that you want to be loved, don't think too highly of yourself and make God the most important focus of your life. That's what God wants you to do. Without a doubt. That's what God want you to do it. Now, let's circle back to the first question. What does it mean to pursue greatness? What is pursuing greatness look like when you think of the great men and women in the world, people who have done great and wonderful things on this earth as leaders are as servants. When we get a picture of all of that, how do we whittle down and answer to the question? What does it mean to pursue greatness? Well, we have to have this caveat, you can be one of the greatest leaders this world has ever known and step into eternity separated from all that is good and great. And hold. Being a leader here is fantastic, but its partial. It's not eternal. So when we say, how do you pursue true greatness? We cannot just look at the men and women who have led well on this earth. We have to look at the one that has led well on earth and leads perfectly on earth and leads perfectly in eternity. So with that in mind, how do you pursue greatness? Here's how stand next to jesus and follow his leave, stand next to jesus and follow his lead.
