Being Last is Winning
Mark 9:35 NIV
"Sitting down, Jesus called the twelve and said, 'Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.'"
I opted for this verse today because it goes along with the theme of my sermon this weekend. This weekend, I'll be discussing the humility of John the Baptist and how he humbly filled his role on his earth-despite his evident greatness-in order to pave the way for Jesus Christ. John was a man of greatness. Because he was so great, and his ministry so effective, many believed that he was the Messiah. However, he declined the title, "Messiah," time and time again because he knew that his background role was vital for God's people to see the salvation that was to come. John was not only known for his baptisms, but he was also a significant prophet, a preacher, and the cousin to Jesus Christ. Not to mention being the prophesied voice of once calling in the wilderness paving the way for the Lord. However, he never let his many roles and gifts cloud his focus on his main goal: Leading God's people to Christ.
Similarly, we are all called to fill many roles on this earth. We're all blessed with different talents and gifts. It's who and what we use them for that matters. If we use them to fulfill our selfish desires (or to otherwise put ourselves first in this world), we will surely be last in the kingdom of Heaven. However, if we use them to help lead others to Christ, remembering that He is first-and for this to hold true in our lives, we must become last-then we will surely bring glory to God's name. Through serving others, we are serving God. In our efforts to honor God through putting to use the good gifts God gave us, and for the purpose of furthering the kingdom, we will not fail and be richly rewarded. Our greatness will not come from people, but from God praising us for the good, humble work we did in His name.
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