Who is greatest in the kingdom

Then, they picked up the missionary and carried him around as if he had run for the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. They did everything except dump the water cooler on his head. This spontaneous celebration lasted several hours. These normally reserved tribal people acted like children. The joy of entering the kingdom of heaven overtook them. Jesus described this childlike receptivity as taking the kingdom of heaven "by force" Matthew The force of childlike faith in Jesus is all it takes to have your name engraved on an invitation to the biggest party of all time — the wedding feast of the Lamb.

For those who have entered the kingdom of heaven by faith, only one question remains: "Where will you sit at the table? When we believe in Jesus Christ as our savior with simple, childlike faith, we receive eternal life.

When we continue believing God by walking in fellowship with him, we receive blessings now and store up treasures in heaven for later. For those tempted toward false humility, God's blessing and treasures glorify him. God wants to bless his people. Look at the big shot come already! Pastor come, wah! Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, there's a kind of culture that, that celebrates that kind of a celebrity pastors syndrome and the … Well, I'm glad in this church nothing like that happens and I hope that will remain true all the days that whoever will be in leadership positions, we are not here to get or milk the praise of men, not to be seen as lords or VIPs or celebrities.

Don't ever call me that, alright! It gives me heart attack. Now, I understand that you respectfully call the pastors here, Pastor Paul, Pastor Vic and so on, with a title. I, I think that's out of your own respect for the office or the offices in the church, that's fine. It's perfectly cool, alright. Pretty cool with that, you know why? No way are any of the pastors superior to anyone.

No way! If you are a child of God, you are a priest. You are a saint, you are a child of God. We are all the same, different job functions, different roles but we are all really the same. In this church, we don't have pastors who have special car park lot, downstairs.

B1, the one beside the lift - pastor Jason. Never have that! If there is, we spray paint that away or Pastor Paul or whatsoever. Nope, we, we don't have special queues for food. You want to get food, we queue like everyone else. Now, it's important to understand that because it's very easy for the world and the culture of the world to be imported into the people of God.

And that ought not to be. We are to live in a counter cultural way. And it is to be seen in the way we value what's important in the kingdom. It's not control. What is greatness? It is simply humble service. Greatness equal humble service. Greatness is seen in humble service.

When I was younger, during about secondary school time, started to think about what kind of career I would have to take up eventually. So I thought everyone like myself, I would want a great career, isn't it?

And what is a great career? Well, a great career will look like - it pays me a lot, it is respected, regarded in society. So, a great career will be one where I can be rich and famous and glamorous and prestigious. Great career, right? Now, I'm not very good at a lot of things, but maybe science I'm still okay.

And so I thought, out of the many options, medicine not bad. Doctors rich what, doctors drive nice cars, live big house. So, let's do medicine. And that's where I went into medicine, studied, completed my course, came out to be a doctor, worked in the hospital. So, we were having our doctors rounds in the hospital wards, visiting patients and diagnosing their problems and trying to solve their problems.

When we came to this elderly lady, she's really old, 80, 90 years old or so and she was curled up like a prawn. She is curled up like a prawn in pain. She's miserable.

And then was my first day there, first time seeing her, but she's been there for months already. So what's the problem? Well, she had chronic constipation. She has not passed motion for months.

Can't walk properly, you feel so awkward, have you had …? I'm, I'm sure you had, alright. So, if you have constipation for any period of time, it's super uncomfortable, but for her, it's months. And the doctors have tried everything. They have given her pills, syrups, solutions to drink, drink, drink, drink, drink to purge, doesn't come out.

They have inserted medicine up and try to wash out the bowels, also cannot. So, she's there struggling in pain. What is that? Nurses do lah. And so I have to, I have to take up that responsibility. They were very kind. They got me the apron, not one but two or three, you know, few layers. This one sure smelly — everything! Not so that I spread germs, but I cannot stand the smell, I'm sure!

So the mask, at least has plastic or paper smell. The watery, semi-solid milkshake all come out. Wah, you can imagine the smell that filled the whole room. It's, it's all stuck there and fermenting for a long time. And so it was, it was gross, it was smelly, it was messy. And when she said that, I realize something, I took out my mask and I took in a deep breath.

Because I realized, greatness is in humble service. Greatness is when you're willing to stoop down and get involved with messy lives. Greatness is seen when you're willing to get your hands dirty, although with gloves, but you're willing to get your hands dirty.

I had a wonderful sense of joy and delight that I could serve this dear old lady. You know what's greatness in the kingdom? I think greatness in God's eyes is in humble service.

What's a great church? Ah, a great church - big nice building, lots of money in the bank, beautiful looking people, successful people coming in fancy cars. Is that a great church? A great church is seen in humble service when God's people gather not to be served, but to serve.

And I think about the many great people here at Gospel Light. That guy! Wah, wah, wah, he came ah! What's impressive is, is in God's eyes are people who gather to dirty their hands to wash feet for one another. I, I think about our brethren, many of you. We, we don't hire people to do this, but we have many of you, some of you here who braved the sun and the rain in traffic marshalling out there. And it's not easy, it's in the sun. Don't, cannot lah! Not long before, Jesus had told His disciples that He was going to be put to death.

He also instructed them to take up their cross. And yet, they were still thinking in human terms. Are you shaking your head like I am? I seem to be doing that a lot lately as I look at these passages not as standalone scenarios but in chronological order. The disciples, like every other Hebrew, were looking for a conquering hero , a deliverer who would overthrow their oppressors, a king. Did they expect Jesus to say the one who was the smartest would be greatest?

Or the one who was strongest? Even the one who most diligently kept the commandments? Can you imagine the whispering that was going on in that room? Women and children may not have been considered outcasts exactly, but they were certainly not held in high esteem. Good News Translation At that time the disciples came to Jesus, asking, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?

Matthew Jesus invited a little child to stand among them. Mark Then they came to Capernaum. While Jesus was in the house, He asked them, "What were you discussing on the way? Luke A dispute also arose among the disciples as to which of them would be considered the greatest.