The Path To Greatness - March 30, 2025

Well, turning your Bible to Mark chapter number nine, we're going to be talking about the path to greatness.

The path to greatness.

And it's not what humans think, it's what God thinks.

And in Mark chapter number nine, we know that Jesus, in the beginning of the chapter, he had the Mount of Transfiguration where he showed himself in his splendor and beauty and just uh his glory for a moment.

And we saw what took place there.

Then we see he comes down the hill and we recognize that there was a child that was demon-possessed, and Jesus cast the devil out of that child.

And the disciples asked him, Hey, how come we couldn't cast him out?

How come we couldn't see success?

And Jesus said, Hey, listen, it's because of your unbelief.

He said, This kind of battle, these kinds of devils, these kinds of demons, these kinds of opportunities, you ain't gonna see any success unless you get deep with me in prayer and fasting.

Right?

You got to pray, you gotta fast.

You got to dig deep while sinners sleep and sluggards are resting.

You got to go closer to me and put away the things of the world.

And so Jesus finishes communicating how to get extra spiritual and power and authority over the darkness of this world so that you would see great, mighty things take place.

Well, he's journeying back to his headquarters and he set up shop in Capernaum.

And if you've ever been to Israel, they're at the Sea of Galilee, Capernaum would have been there.

Much of his ministry was base camped out of that location.

Well, he's traveling there with his disciples.

And we're gonna see three keys in this message.

If you want to take these notes down, you can.

We're gonna see the three keys to advancement in God's kingdom.

Number one is sacrifice.

You don't sacrifice, you're not gonna see any success.

And Jesus modeled that.

Number two, we're gonna see service.

The greatest among us would be the servant of all.

We're gonna see how Jesus, you know, he wasn't dominating everybody and just telling them, hey, you gotta bow down and do whatever I tell you.

He was a servant.

And then we're gonna see number three, the third key is sharing and giving opportunity and encouragement and letting others be a part of what you're doing and receiving in others and being a help and a blessing.

And so we'll see those three keys in this passage sacrifice, service, and sharing, the path to greatness.

Let's jump into the word of God if you're ready.

Mark chapter number nine, look what it says in verse number thirty.

And they departed thence and passed through Galilee.

And he would not that any man should know it, for he taught his disciples and said unto them, The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him.

And after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

But they understood not that saying, and were sore afraid to ask him.

Here we see that Jesus is communicating a message, and I see that the message is sacrifice.

Now, think about this.

He's doing miracle after miracle.

He's feeding the 5,000, he's raising the dead, he's opening the mute and the deaf, and he's opening the eyes of the blind.

He's doing miracle after miracle.

And these disciples are thinking, man, let's do this.

I'm done with the Romans ruling over us.

We got the King of Kings with us.

He's gonna set up shop.

We're gonna boom shakalaka everybody who's coming against us.

And then Jesus basically says, Hey, listen, I'm gonna die.

I'm gonna give myself.

And here we see sacrifice.

I gotta tell you, listen, it's like our social media.

We love posting all of our successes, but it's really challenging to post our sacrifices and our failures, the letdowns, the defeats, the losses.

When you think about this, Jesus is telling them, hey, listen, guys, I know you just saw me cast out demons off this kid.

Check it out.

I'm gonna die.

I'm gonna be delivered.

I'm gonna, I'm gonna be, I'm gonna be killed.

But they're not trying to hear that message.

It's almost like when when you tell your kids they got to do their homework, they're not trying to listen.

You tell your people, hey, listen, we're gonna have to grind through.

We're gonna be a busy workday.

They they they they may not like the sacrifice.

The scripture says that that as he's traveling with them and he's telling them, he's telling them, hey, boys, don't tell everybody everything.

I'm just trying to have a personal moment with you.

And there's some things you don't need to share with everybody.

And here he's trying to tell them, hey, I'm gonna be crucified, and they're they're not getting it.

Have you ever tried to tell somebody what you're about to do and they're not trying to listen?

And I ask myself the question, why is it that we don't want to hear about sacrifice?

And I think it's because we all have our own agenda.

We have our own goals.

And listen, many times when God gives us a dream, a vision, a burden, a desire, all we see is the end.

We see the finish line, we see the beautiful marriage and how wonderful it will be to walk on the beach with our spouse, and everybody's happy.

How great it is to have these beautiful little children, how wonderful it is to have this thriving business.

But here's the deal: you never factor in the craziness, the struggle, and the strife and the and the contentions and the times when everything's falling apart and and and your world's crashing down, and your commitment and your faith is tested.

We don't factor that stuff in.

We like the idea of success, but there is no success without sacrifice.

And we see that with the disciples here.

Few things I noticed in sacrifices, Jesus is like, hey, listen, I don't want you to tell everybody, I just want to have a little time with you.

I don't need all the publicity.

I don't need it all.

I just want to be able to talk with you guys.

And the reason he didn't want to have all the publicity, he's like, didn't want anybody to know it is because he knew that the more people knew about it, that what would happen it was increase the birth pangs.

You know when a baby when a woman, when a mom is about to deliver the child, the Braxton Hicks and the birth pangs start picking up when that baby's about to come forward?

Well, Jesus knows his moment's at hand.

The whole purpose he came to earth was yes, he did a lot of miracles.

Yes, he's God in the flesh, but it was to die on that cross for you and I.

And he knows that that this moment, this hastening moment that would transform human history is gonna come to pass.

And he's trying to tell his guys, hey, listen, this is gonna happen.

And they're not trying to listen.

You say, why?

Not everybody wants to tune in to pain, struggle.

Listen, how many all struggle just going to the hospital?

How many when you have a friend or a family member, they're bringing up some of their deepest, darkest hurts?

It's it's it's hard.

I was asking the teen boys yesterday about, they were asking a question, we went to a youth rally, they said, Hey, uh, would you rather have physical power or mental power?

And I was like, that's kind of a trick, man.

I do like working out a lot, you know, so maybe I'll lift, you know, 500 pounds on the bench, it'd be great, you know.

Mental power, think through things, strategy.

But then I asked them a question, I said, What about emotional power?

What about the ability to process emotions and think through anger and greed and lust and envy and love and grace and truth?

Difficulty.

They're like, nah nah, let's go back to physical power.

It's just part of human nature.

But here at Jesus, what he's doing is he's trying to tell them something, but they're not listening.

How many of y'all you ever had somebody try to tell you, hey, there's gonna be some sacrifice up ahead?

How many of y'all have a husband or a wife where you're like, hey, listen, we gotta kind of tighten the belt a little bit.

We can't spend as much right now.

We're gonna be coming through a recession.

Hey, listen, we got to work double, triple time, two, three jobs, we got to grind, we got to hustle.

It's hard to hear those things, especially when you know you want to go spend the money out.

You wanna, you wanna eat the donuts, you wanna uh not have to work so much.

But the truth is we've got to embrace sacrifice.

If we're gonna advance in God's kingdom, you gotta learn to give up to go up.

You got to be willing to say, okay, if that's what it's gonna take, it's gonna take some fasting, I'm gonna give up my food.

If it's gonna take some giving, I'll give up some some finances.

It's gonna take me to grind a second job, I'll do that.

It's gonna take me saying no to some things that are that are good to be able to say yes to the things that matter most, I'm gonna do it.

But check this out, not everybody's gonna get it.

At least not now.

They'll get it later.

How many of you, how many of you guys, maybe you're 30 years old, 40 years old, 50 years old, and your parents were telling you stuff when you were like 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and you weren't even trying to hear it.

Oh no, I got this.

I know what I'm doing.

Mom, dad, they're not very, they won't say it out loud, but you know, no, I got this.

And then you get a little older, like, oh, you know what?

Mom, dad, they got they had a few things right, you know.

Are you no pastor?

You know, he's cool, but I didn't really like that.

Then you get down the road a little bit, you're like, Mom, dad, pastor coach, and they got it right.

I just I needed to take some time to let the learning catch up.

And that happens.

Well, we see here, listen, you got a sacrifice.

Number two, we see service.

Jesus, he's trying to talk to them about sacrifice.

They're thinking about ruling and reigning.

They're talking about like their glory.

And the Bible says this in verse number 33.

And he came to Capernaum, his headquarters, if you would, and being in the house, he asked them, Notice how a good leader asks questions.

What is it that ye disputed among yourselves by the way?

But they held their peace.

They didn't want to rat on each other.

For by the way they had disputed among themselves who should be the greatest.

And he sat down and he called the twelve and saith unto them, If any man will desire to be first, the same shall be last of all and servant of all.

And he took a child and set him in the midst of them, and when he had taken him in the arms, he said unto them, Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name receiveth me, and whosoever shall receive me receiveth not me, but him that sent me.

Here we see service.

He said, and we see a few things about a good leader.

Notice the timing here.

We see that it's important for leaders to check in with their followers.

It's important for parents to check in with their children.

It's important for husbands to check in with their wives and wives to check in with their husbands.

It's important for pastors to check in with the members.

It's important for members to check in with the pastor.

But I want to tell you this the responsibility is on leadership.

Hey, daddy, in here, it's your job to engage them and love them and care for them.

We see Jesus, he knows they're bickering about some things.

Have you ever known that people in the church are bickering or people at home are bickering, people on the sports team, people at the work, they're bickering about some things.

And sometimes we just let it go.

And I'm not saying you should try to fix every problem, okay?

I'm not talking about playing the Holy Spirit police with everybody all the time, but I am saying, listen, the people you love, the people you care about, they need some help to process.

And sometimes they get their sights set on the wrong things.

Well, you say, what do they have their sights set on?

Ruling, glory, sitting on thrones, people serving them.

Hey, same thing like you and I.

Think about this.

Oh, you know what?

When I make enough money, then I'll retire.

When I get to that position, when I finally get there, then everything's gonna be so perfect, and people are gonna feed me grapes and fan me with palm trees, and it's gonna be great.

No sacrifice, no service.

In fact, the service is instead of me serving, others are gonna come to me.

And this is a temptation for all of us.

We think, well, I did my job.

You ever talk to a granny or a grandpa?

I did my job, I did my time.

As if your job is ever done, grandma and grandpa.

No, no, no, no.

Mom and dad, I'm done.

There ain't no, you don't get it.

This is for life, friend.

It's for life.

You don't get out until you get to glory, right?

But I think in our minds we get this a little bit mixed up.

And so what Jesus is doing is he's checking in on their hearts.

Hey, what are you asking Bickering about?

And he's like, they're like, I'm not saying anything.

You just say, Don't you dare say anything.

Don't tell mom, don't tell that, don't tell the pastor, don't tell Jesus.

And you can kind of like feel their tension a little bit.

What were they griping about?

They wanted to be first.

I'm gonna be the leader of this ministry.

I'm gonna get to call the shot on the next event.

No, I get to sit in shotgun.

Well, I called it.

I don't care.

I'm shotgun, baby.

Back up.

Okay.

Y'all know what shotgun is sitting in the front seat.

Right?

I'm going first through the line.

And Jesus is like, no, no, no, no, something, boys.

You're not getting it.

You're missing it.

You're living in immaturity.

You're living in selfishness.

You're living in pride.

You're the way your mindset is is going to push people away from you because it's all about you.

It's all about what you want.

And Jesus is like, guys, let me tell you something.

Yeah, it's it's common for everybody from normal man to be like the Romans and be like, I want to be the ruler.

But he's like, listen, I'm come as a servant.

I came riding in on a donkey.

Like, I don't, birds have nests, foxes have holes, but the son of man hath nowhere to lay his head.

Listen, I'm not I'm not leading a political army, I'm not leading a government revolution, I'm not having all listen, I'm a servant.

All right, I got nothing, but I got God, which means I got everything.

And I'm showing you the way.

And a good leader goes the way, shows the way, and knows the way.

And Jesus isn't trying to stack and pack all the cash and get all the houses and get everything.

No, no, no, no, no.

He's modeling servitude.

He says, Hey, let me show you something, boys.

Come on over here.

Brings this little boy up, picks him up.

I love this about Jesus.

You look about, look at Jesus.

Women were comfortable around him, children were comfortable around.

You can always tell, listen, you want to find out how people are doing, find out who they are?

Ask women.

A mama's intuition, she'll be like, nah, that guy's a creeper.

And by the way, guys, you better listen to that woman.

She knows a few things.

She picks up on some things you don't pick up on, right?

Just different vessels.

And you look at Jesus, women, they were like, hey, I'd I'd love to just, you know, be connected to you.

I'd love to talk with you.

I'd love to get some help.

And Jesus wasn't defiling women, beating women down.

He was always loving on them and helping them and encouraging them.

Little children were pressing to get to him.

Why is that?

Because he had this, he has a fatherly heart.

I'm not talking about a joker, dad.

I'm talking about a good daddy.

Talking about a good father.

It's like, hey, come on.

He picks up this little boy.

He says, Boys, you want to be great in the kingdom?

You're going to have to learn how to be a servant of all.

You need to learn how to be last.

You need to learn how to let other people go first.

Hey, moms and dads out there, how many all know what I'm talking about?

I mean, you're sacrificing day in and day out just so you can put food on the table, just so you can get them to school, just so you can get them to the sports games and all the other stuff.

And many times they're unappreciative.

They don't realize what you're doing.

Right?

But we're not doing it so that they'll appreciate it.

We're doing it because it's right.

We're doing it because we love God and we want to see them grow in maturity, and you want to model it.

Well, he calls the little boy up and he says, All right, boys, look at this little guy.

You want to be great?

You need to be like this little child.

You need to be like you say, what is it about a little child?

Well, they're helpless, they're dependent, they're pure, they're kind, they're inquisitive.

They're not like, well, I've got to get all the no-no.

And they want they want to be with Jesus.

And so you look here, Jesus is you say, What is he doing here?

He's trying to teach them this lesson.

You want to be great, you need to be a servant.

You think about this at church here.

The goal is not to be on the stage.

The goal is not to be the leader of a ministry.

The goal is to be a servant.

You don't need a title to be a servant.

You don't need money to be a servant.

You don't need a husband or a wife or a son or a daughter to be a servant.

A servant is an attitude, it's a mindset, it's a lifestyle.

It's listen, I'll open the door for you.

Hey, you need some food.

Hey, you're hurting, I'll pray for you.

Listen, all of us in here can be a servant.

And I'm not talking about, let me put a little caveat here.

I'm not talking about being a pushover.

I'm not talking about people just mowing you over and just doing whatever they want.

I'm talking about you willingly choose to love and serve people with good, healthy boundaries.

Just putting that in there.

And Jesus says, You want to be great?

Listen, stop trying to be first.

Stop trying to be first at everything.

Now that's hard because I want to win.

Like if we're, listen, I'll race people to church.

Listen, don't hate on me if you see that victory van go on by you, okay?

You're just slow and you're in the wrong lane.

You see me behind you, you better move over.

But I gotta work on that because I want to be first.

But the Lord's like, no, no, Jason, yeah, slow down, park it in the slow lane a little bit.

No.

No, right?

But it's a mindset, and it's the hard part about this mindset is like we think we can get it.

Okay, I got it, it's done, let's move on.

And we'll go back to winning again.

But the Lord's like, no, no, I want to permeate this mindset throughout your whole life.

I want you to at the house, I want you to let them take the shower first.

At the house, I want you to make the breakfast.

At the house, I want you to do that.

At the work, I want you to let them have a shift.

Let them do this.

Hey, at the ball field, instead of you getting the first rips in the cages or you taking the first whatever it is, you're gonna let a few other people go.

You say, why is that greatness?

Because that means you love that person.

You care about that person.

It means that your character and your love for others is greater than your own opportunity and your own image of success.

It means you're a servant of God.

And so Jesus is breaking it down for him, saying, Hey, you want to be great?

Become a servant.

That's why the greatest people in this church, they're servants.

It's not just on the stage, people they're servants at home, too.

Like, you want to be a great husband?

Stop barking orders and go wash the dishes a little bit.

Hey, I'm not saying that there's not a time for barking orders and commanding, but I'm saying, listen, watch what happens.

Fill up the gas tank.

Do the oil change, right?

Uh put the kids take the kids for a little bit, let her go get her hair and nails done.

All you ladies are like, I kind of like this pastor now, you know.

I'll stick around a little bit.

Now it goes the other way too, right?

For ladies.

Men are like, please go there.

I don't know.

You got y'all should have came last week.

I was I was on that side last week, okay?

I gotta balance this thing out a little bit.

Yeah.

Being a servant is accepting responsibility and having a hospitable spirit of service for all of God's children.

It's not just serving people that look like you and dress like you and talk like you.

Listen, I'm a Padre fan.

There's a lot of Dodger fans up in this place.

Yes, the kingdom of God is big enough.

But our Padres are 3-0, baby.

Come on.

Yeah.

Dodge the We don't want to hear it, okay?

We don't want to hear it.

I was telling a few of the guys the other day, I was like, I was about to take a picture of the MOB app, you know, a little bit and show that we're 3-0, and then I saw the Dodgers were ahead.

I was like, nah, I'm not taking that picture.

But listen, being a servant is this I can put my Padres and Dodgers thing aside, and I'll take a Dodger fan to a baseball game.

Why?

Because my competent my competitive winning spirit cannot exceed my Christ-like spirit.

Dude, I gotta learn to love what other people love as long as it's not sin.

Right?

Some people would debate that with the Dodgers.

I get that.

But I'll tell you this.

Being a serpent at home is going to eat something that she wants to eat, you don't want to eat.

Being a servant at home is going to an amusement park you don't really want to go to.

It's watching the movie that you really don't want to watch.

It's showing up when you would rather not.

See, a selfish person is all about them.

They're very narcissistic.

And I get it, all of us have a measure of narcissism in us where it's like all we want.

But here's the deal: if you don't learn how to serve other people and bless other people and love other people, you're gonna be a lonely person.

And it won't be anybody's fault but your own.

Because you ostracize yourself because you demand everybody do what you want all the time.

And I and I get it.

I don't think we do this intentionally.

I think it's just innate.

I think it's human nature.

And that's why we have to crucify the flesh and say, okay, God, I'm selfish.

I'm prideful.

Please forgive me.

I'm gonna be transparent with it.

Help me to let to let other people go first.

Listen, today, I'm already hungry.

I want to beat the Pentecostals to the lunch place.

Okay.

I want to get my food first.

We probably will.

They have long services.

But I gotta get this mindset where it's like, all right, Lord, make me a servant not just on a platform, but in the private.

Help me to be a servant everywhere I go.

To the person at work that's cussing me out or that's talking bad about me.

I don't want to treat them the way they're treating me.

I want to treat them the way you treat me, God.

You love me, you bless me, you're kind to me.

So help me to love that other person, knowing that they know not what they do.

They're in sin, they're hurting, something's going on in their life.

Help me to do something a little extra to overcome the evil with good.

And it's not because they deserve it, it's because of who I am in Christ.

I'm a servant.

This is how you advance in the kingdom, right?

So we got sacrifice, then we've got service, and then number three, uh, we've got the last uh point in advancing in the kingdom.

It's sharing.

Now, check this out because I think all of us can relate to this.

These boys, they're asking questions.

The disciples are asking questions.

Jesus is trying to help them.

Remember, they're thinking, oh, it's all about me and all about mine and my, you know, I want to be first.

I want to rule.

Now, that spirit leads into a controlling nature, a controlling spirit.

They're together because it's all about them and what they want: their rulership, their platform, their glory.

And it tends to lead to this leadership of domination and control.

Well, look at the question that's asked in verse 38.

And John answered him, saying, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us.

And we forbade him because he followeth not us.

So you say, What's the question?

He's like, We saw somebody doing ministry out there.

Uh, we said, stop it.

We said, shut it down, cancel that guy.

I mean, he's casting out devils, he's helping people, he's doing ministry.

But Jesus, we're with you.

We're team Jesus.

What's up?

I don't know who that is.

Those people are local.

Right?

They're not wearing our colors, they're not, they're not doing what we want.

So we forbade them.

We told them to stop.

It's human nature, right?

Well, look at the answer of Christ here.

I find it very fascinating, his heart.

Jesus says, hey, verse 39, forbid him not.

For there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of me.

For he that is not against us is on our part.

He said, Leave him alone.

They're doing ministry, they're loving people.

And you say, Well, what is he?

What is Jesus getting at here?

He's basically getting at this thought of like, people don't have to do it the way you think they have to do it.

And I'm not saying like making excuses for people that are living in sin.

That's not what I'm talking about.

Because if sin is sin, we should hate sin, right?

But I am saying, God gave us individual soul liberty.

Like you look different than me.

We look different than each other, we have different gifts, different abilities.

And what God puts in my heart may be a little different than what God puts in your heart.

The way I run my family is gonna be a little different than the way you run your family, right?

Within the parameters of scripture.

But what the disciples were doing was they were trying to create this cult, this clique, this it's gotta be done our way.

They have to be with us.

We have to, they have to physically be in with us in order to spiritually be in with us.

And Jesus is saying, no, no, no, no, boys, no.

They don't have to be physically under your rulership to do God's work.

And parents out there, as your kids get older, the temptation is for you to be the helicopter parent, the smothering mother, and to be like, you have to do it every the way I want you to do it.

And all here's what happens: you push them away.

Because they have they're they're they're grown adults, and you have to be willing to let them be what God wants them to be.

And if you're oppressive and you're you have they have to check in with you on everything and you don't learn to love them unconditionally, and you think they have to stay in your house or stay in your church in order for you to have a long-term relationship with them, I'm gonna tell you what's gonna happen.

You're gonna lose them, you're gonna lose your grandkids.

You say, why?

Because you have not matured in a Christ-like spirit to realize that God, you you were stewarding over them for a season at a time, and eventually they're gonna grow and be their own adults and have their own families or plant their own churches and do their own companies.

And by the way, that's not a loss for you.

That's that's an indicator of success.

But if we're trying to control everything, we shut it down, we block it out.

No, you can't do this.

You're shooting yourself in the foot.

But Jesus is like, no, no, let them alone.

They're doing ministry.

And so remember, this whole thing is a Christ-like spirit.

You say, What's Jesus getting at?

He's talking about sharing.

I got to thinking about greatness, and I'm almost finished because we got three baptisms, and that's gonna be great, okay?

Greatness is not about controlling others, it's about sharing and being hospitable.

Greatness is not about who is in the same room or group as you, but it's who is preaching Christ, helping people, and advancing the kingdom.

Greatness is found in the little things of humility, service, and hospitality, not in the big things of popularity, power, and position.

So next time your mind starts thinking, I want to be great, you're not gonna get any greater than being like Jesus Christ.

And Jesus, he's sharing, he's caring, he's serving, he's sacrificing, and he is the greatest blessing to each and every one of us.

So the takeaway for you, for me, do your best to not let your competitive spirit override your Christianity.

Amen.

Do your best that if somebody goes to a different church or they're moving out of your company, all of a sudden God's moving them a different place, do your best not to ridicule and criticize and condemn them because they're not right physically with you.

And just celebrate them and love them and encourage them.

Because the truth is, if moms and dads in here and pastors and people that are coaching and that are leaders, if you do a good job, they're gonna go out and prosper and excel and they're gonna reproduce what they've seen.

And we want them to reproduce a Christ-likeness and a sweetness.

Listen, as a dad, as a husband, we want them to be able to display how to treat a woman.

As a daughter, we want them to display how to respect a man.

We want them to learn how to how do we treat our elders.

That's why with our little kids, when it's almost food time right now, we teach our little kids listen, you don't go to the front of the line.

You go get grandma and papa, right?

You go get a plate, you ask them what you would like to eat, and you go get them a plate.

You serve them.

Why?

Because they're our elders, right?

And they're they they're getting into the weaker stages of their physicality, and you're still young.

And so we got to teach our young people hey, the way we see if you're really strong, it's not just your physical muscles and your physical power.

No, no, no.

It's your emotional and spiritual power to sacrifice, to serve, and to share.

You do this, here's what happens.

Everybody you come across, not just in the church and not just at home, in the classroom, on the ball field, in the gym, when that that person just snaked your machine.

You know what I'm talking about?

Like you were on that machine, they jumped in on it.

I'm gonna be last, Lord.

I'm gonna be last.

Can I get you a towel too?

See, it's these small little checks.

But if you'll have that heart everywhere, here's what happens.

People notice there's something different about you.

It's not just your religion, it's you have this authentic relationship with God that's permeating the gospel power through your whole life.

Now you're gonna have a ton of relationships everywhere you go because everybody wants to be loved and blessed, accepted, and served.

Pretty simple, right?

It's simple, but it's a little challenging to practice on a daily.

So today, let's practice being servants.