Is it ok to want to be great in God’s kingdom? I think so. I notice in the gospels that Jesus never rebuked anyone for wanting to be great. Instead, he told them how to become great – servanthood!
33ย Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, โWhat was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?โ 34ย But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. 35ย And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, โIf anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.โ 36ย Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37ย โWhoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.โ
Mark 9:33-37 NKJV
In another passage He uses Himself as an example.
25ย But Jesus called them to Himself and said, โYou know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26ย Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27ย And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slaveโ 28ย just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.โ
Matthew 20:25-28 NKJV
Paul writes to Timothy that if someone wants to be an overseer, that is a good desire the person has.
It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
1 Timothy 3:1 NASB
Those who do well in leadership will receive a crown.
The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2ย Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3ย nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4ย and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
1 Peter 5:1-4 NKJV
In fact, I think the Bible warns about being complacent, of not wanting to be great.
โI am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2ย Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.โ
John 15:1-2 NKJV
32 โFor the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33ย But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.โ
Proverbs 1:32-33 NKJV
42ย And the Lord said, โWho then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43ย Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 44ย Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. 45ย But if that servant says in his heart, โMy master is delaying his coming,โ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, 46ย the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him,and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. 47ย And that servant who knew his masterโs will, and did not prepare himselfor do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48ย But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.โ
Luke 12:42-48 NKJV
Consider the end of the Parable of the Talents.
26ย โBut his lord answered and said to him, โYou wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27ย So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28ย So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29ย โFor to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30ย And cast the unprofitable servantย into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.โโ
Matthew 25:26-30 NKJV
So how does one become great in God’s Kingdom? My current understanding is that I need to work on who I am – my character – and God is in charge of who I influence. Abiding in Jesus the prime requirement.
5ย โI am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6ย If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7ย If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8ย By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.โ
John 15:5-8 NKJV
My daily walk matters!
33 โHear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34ย Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35ย For whoever finds me finds life,
And obtains favor from the Lord;
36ย But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.โ
Proverbs 8:33-36 NKJV
These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.
Acts 17:11 NKJV
โGive us this day our daily bread.โ
Matthew 6:11 NKJV
My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.
Psalms 5:3 NKJV
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
Daniel 6:10 NKJV
12ย Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; 13ย but exhort one another daily, while it is called โToday,โ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 3:12-13 NKJV
And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
Acts 5:42 NKJV
I love “Peter’s Principles.“
5ย But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6ย to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7ย to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. 8ย For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9ย For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins.
10ย Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11ย for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:5-11 NKJV
I work on me, and God chooses who I serve.
6ย For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.
7ย But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
Psalm 75:6-7 KJV
6ย โThe Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7ย The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
8ย He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
โFor the pillars of the earth are the Lordโs,
And He has set the world upon them.โ
1 Samuel 2:6-8 NKJV
Jesus is coming soon. Be ready!
4ย But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5ย You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. 6ย Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
1 Thessalonians 5:4-6 NKJV
32ย โNow learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33ย So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is nearโat the doors! 34ย Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.ย 35ย Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.โ
Matthew 24:32-35 NKJV
34ย โBut take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35ย Forย it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.ย 36ย Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.โ
Luke 21:34-36 NKJV
Has the rapture happened?
You can still be saved and go to heaven!
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Are you following God's plan for your life?
You should.
Your plan is not going to work.
It is a really, really bad plan.
Please come to Jesus to escape your plan!
Most people are WRONG! WRONG! WRONG!
Jesus is coming.
Are you ready to meet Him?
Give your life to Jesus Christ.
Time is running out.
Lift Up Your Eyes! 