This study was first taught on March 17, 2010

Topic: Kingdom Greatness

No audio available for this study.

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Background
Last week we saw that in fulfilling the requirements of the Law, our Lord Jesus Christ paid the price of death for sin. All human beings have sinned and owe the debt of death for sin, but the Lord Jesus came to pay the price, and by so doing, freed us from the hold of sin and of Satan. We noted that having been freed therefore; we are no longer to continue to live as we did: being dictated to by Satan and sin rather, we are to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and to give us direction in life.

We said since Christ fully satisfied the demands of the Law, we, having become part of Him, through the remission of our sin by His blood, have also fulfilled the demands of the Law. By this token, we are free from sin, but not free to live as we wish, but as Christ desires. In addition to being free from sin, the Lord Jesus Christ has also made it possible for us to live right before God. This He has done by giving us the Holy Spirit Who supplies us the power to live as God wants.

Scripture Text(s)
Matthew 5:17-19
We shall tonight take a look at what it means to be great in the kingdom of God. It is our prayer that the Holy Spirit will teach us and at the same time dismiss all the wrong concepts of greatness that we may have, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
To be great is to be considered important, to be a prominent person, to be counted worthy, or to be highly esteemed. In the kingdom of God however, the basis for being considered great is markedly different from that which we may be used to.
Luke 9:48; Matthew 20:20-28; Luke 22:24-27; Mark 9:33-35; Matthew 23:1-12; 11:11; 18:1-4; 1 Peter 5:5; Matthew 5:19; Deuteronomy 12:32; Revelation22:18-20; Matthew 23:23; Revelation 2:14, 20; 1 Timothy 6:3-6; Luke 1:15-17; Daniel 12:3; Philippians 2:4-11.

Conclusion
Greatness from the standpoint of the world is markedly different from kingdom greatness. Whereas the great people of the world exercise authority over their subjects, kingdom greats serve God’s people. Whereas highly esteemed people in the world are high-minded and selfish, those who are highly esteemed in the kingdom of God are lowly in heart and are selfless, giving themselves to others. Whereas people who are counted worthy in the world recline at tables to be served, people who are counted worthy in the kingdom of God are waiters serving at tables.

To be prominent and important in the world is to be proud, self-confident, snotty, powerful, strong, and so on. To be prominent and important in the kingdom of God, however, is to be the direct opposite: humble, have no confidence in yourself (but in God), lowly, meek, and such like.

Kingdom greatness is therefore for those who, as a result of the above kingdom-oriented qualities, submit themselves to the will of God, and His teachings; and who teach others to do the same. Anything else leads to being in the lowest rung in God’s kingdom or even complete exclusion from the kingdom.

Our example should therefore be the Lord Jesus, who did not grab for the position He rightly had, but who subjected Himself to the authority of his Father, even when it meant death. As a result, His Father made Him the greatest there ever can be. Similarly, as John the Baptist was counted worthy and highly esteemed by God, it is God’s plan that every child of His be so; but this can only happen if we will live according to his teachings, and not some abridged or modified form (1 Samuel 2:27-30).

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