WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:12.640 In 1999, a company spent over 25% of their marketing budget on a single 30-second ad for the Super Bowl. 00:00:13.039 --> 00:00:18.559 It was a sort of well-known company, but not really well-known company called Monster.com. 00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:22.160 It's a job hosting website if you're not familiar. 00:00:22.399 --> 00:00:30.480 And they were growing, but they weren't exactly like Super Bowl Sunday ad-level company, right? 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:33.039 They're not like a Ford or a Coca-Cola. 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:36.000 But they had this idea. 00:00:36.640 --> 00:00:48.640 And they were so confident in the idea that the CEO of the company was okay, allowing over 25% of their entire year's budget for advertising to go to this one 30-second ad. 00:00:49.759 --> 00:01:03.920 And he was so confident that he he had his company spend a vast amount of money to upgrade their servers so that whenever the ad aired, all the responses he was confident would come, they would be able to handle it, their site wouldn't crash. 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:08.400 And so there's a lot riding on this one ad, this one commercial. 00:01:08.560 --> 00:01:12.000 If it had not been successful, like heads would have rolled. 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:15.280 But as it turned out, he was right. 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:29.920 And it became one of the most iconic and most successful 30-second ads in the history of television, both in terms of how universally it was loved and received, and also the immediate impact it had on their company. 00:01:30.239 --> 00:01:35.519 Visits to their website doubled instantly, stayed that way for a really long time, and it really launched them. 00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:37.200 So I want to take 30 seconds. 00:01:37.439 --> 00:01:40.480 I want to show you this ad because it's so connected to what we're going to talk about today. 00:01:40.560 --> 00:01:42.319 So, guys, go ahead and play this. 00:01:43.840 --> 00:01:47.280 When I grow up, I'm a file all day. 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:53.280 I'm gonna have a brand mus. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:56.879 I wanna be a yes man, yes woman, yes, sir, coming, sir. 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:58.719 Anything from rave, sir. 00:01:58.879 --> 00:02:01.760 When I grow up, when I grow up, I wanna be underappreciated. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:04.319 Be paid less for doing the same job. 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:07.359 I'm gonna be forced into early retirement. 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:11.120 Yeah. 00:02:11.919 --> 00:02:12.719 That's it. 00:02:12.960 --> 00:02:14.159 30 seconds. 00:02:14.400 --> 00:02:18.560 Some of you are having a life crisis right now, going, I need to update my resume. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:19.520 That touched me in a way. 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:21.919 I didn't I didn't mean to do that. 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:23.280 That wasn't the goal. 00:02:24.879 --> 00:02:38.960 There was something so powerful about seeing children talk about their dreams and have those dreams be like so mundane and minuscule. 00:02:39.360 --> 00:02:50.000 And it stirred something inside of people, it reconnected people to that universal reality of being young and dreaming big. 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:55.360 I I went to my uh third child Judah's preschool graduation. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:59.680 Quick side note, there shouldn't be graduations for preschools. 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:01.360 There's not, there's no grades. 00:03:01.439 --> 00:03:02.639 You can't fail preschool. 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:03.520 So how can you graduate? 00:03:03.759 --> 00:03:04.159 Whatever. 00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:07.840 But you know, you go to those things as a dad, you're like, you have to. 00:03:07.919 --> 00:03:09.599 There's more of them than there have ever been before. 00:03:09.759 --> 00:03:10.719 And it was it was great. 00:03:10.800 --> 00:03:11.759 It was really sweet, really cute. 00:03:11.840 --> 00:03:17.039 And it's funny because the way they did the graduation is all the kids like came down, like cap and gown. 00:03:17.120 --> 00:03:23.439 I mean, it was it was the whole nine yards, and uh handed them a piece of paper that none of them could read, but it's fine. 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:28.240 And and then they announced what each of them wanted to be. 00:03:29.280 --> 00:03:37.120 And uh there were seven astronauts, I counted, seven, uh I think two superheroes. 00:03:37.280 --> 00:03:39.520 Like, come of those kids are like, no, I'm going big. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:41.120 I'm going to literally save the world. 00:03:41.199 --> 00:03:42.080 I'm gonna do it. 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:51.759 Um, you know, there were firefighters, police officers, there were uh doctors, a couple veterinarians, like every single kid had had something substantial. 00:03:52.879 --> 00:04:04.639 Because there is something inside of us from birth that not only desires to be great, but actually sort of anticipates it. 00:04:05.280 --> 00:04:05.919 Right? 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:14.960 Like I can remember being 10, and for me, it was just like, well, should I play in the NBA or the major leagues of baseball? 00:04:15.039 --> 00:04:16.639 Like, I gotta make a choice. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:18.160 Which one is it gonna be? 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:23.360 My oldest once told me that once he retires from the NBA, he might do my job. 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:25.360 He told me this when he was like nine, ten. 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:29.120 He's like, I think when I retire from my main thing, maybe I can do what you do. 00:04:29.199 --> 00:04:30.160 I was like, thanks, son. 00:04:30.319 --> 00:04:34.079 That that means a lot, you know, that I'm your retirement plan. 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:50.560 There is something natural built into us that desires to be great and at a young age believes that it'll happen. 00:04:51.519 --> 00:05:05.519 And as we get older, there's this frustration that can grow when it feels like we haven't been able to be what we thought we could, and we can get frustrated at all the things in life, maybe all the things within us that have held us back. 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:09.600 That's what made that ad so successful. 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:16.319 This morning, I want us to talk about what it truly means to be great. 00:05:17.920 --> 00:05:24.240 If you really want to be great, that's what we're gonna talk about today. 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:36.560 Now, to back up for some context, we're gonna start exploring for the next several weeks leading into Christmas, we're gonna start exploring this one amazing moment in Jesus' life. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:41.279 And it's the the last meal that he has with his followers. 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:44.639 It's the final meal that Jesus has. 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:50.560 You may have seen the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting, you know, where they're all sitting on one side of the table. 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:54.720 Um kind of a strange way to orient a painting. 00:05:55.199 --> 00:06:02.959 But this this meal, sometimes called the Last Supper, it's one of the most iconic and powerful moments in all of Jesus' life. 00:06:03.279 --> 00:06:14.959 It's amazing how many of the most powerful things he ever did and ever said, things like I am the way, the truth, and the life, came from that meal, from that conversation. 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:22.800 Lord's Supper, something that we do every single Sunday, we're gonna do it at the end this morning, where we take the bread and the juice. 00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:25.600 That comes from that meal. 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:32.480 And what's amazing about this one is that we we have so much information on what was said and what happened. 00:06:32.560 --> 00:06:36.959 It's not the case always with Jesus in the times that he hung out with people. 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:40.879 Like if you were planning a party, if you were gonna plan a dinner party and you're like, who should we invite? 00:06:40.959 --> 00:06:42.399 You should always invite Jesus if he was around. 00:06:42.560 --> 00:06:44.079 Like in those days, who should be there? 00:06:44.240 --> 00:06:44.480 Jesus. 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:48.240 Because when Jesus showed up at your house for dinner, something always went down. 00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:50.959 And it was always different, surprising, and really cool. 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:52.879 And sometimes we just don't know what it was. 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:56.480 But for example, there's a man named Zacchaeus in Jesus' day. 00:06:56.560 --> 00:07:03.439 He was a tax collector, he was really a criminal, he extorted people for money, he was totally comfortable with having other people suffer for his gain. 00:07:03.759 --> 00:07:12.160 Jesus shows up in his town, looks at him, says, Zacchaeus, I'm gonna have dinner with you tonight, and we have no idea, we don't know anything about what Jesus said to him. 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:21.600 We know nothing about the conversation, we just know that he had dinner with Jesus, and by the end of that dinner, he gave away everything that he had taken from people with interest. 00:07:22.160 --> 00:07:23.759 Something about that meal. 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:31.040 I don't know what they ate, I don't know what Jesus said, but man, if I could be a fly on the wall for that conversation. 00:07:31.519 --> 00:07:36.720 Well, the cool thing about the Last Supper, the final meal, is that we do get to be a fly on the wall. 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:42.800 Maybe that's why Da Vinci painted it that way, because we sort of get to sit on the other side of the table. 00:07:44.079 --> 00:07:49.279 And we know what was said and what was done, and it's like we can experience it too. 00:07:50.000 --> 00:08:02.000 And that's what I want us to do for these next few uh few weeks is just uh be there, engaged as much as we can be, and see Jesus so clearly. 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:07.680 It's a really cheesy line that's in my head a lot because it rhymes, it's kind of it's kind of cheesy. 00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:12.720 And it's just that if I can see him more clearly, I will love him more dearly. 00:08:13.439 --> 00:08:18.240 You know, some of us here, maybe watching from home, maybe haven't made the decision to be a Jesus follower. 00:08:18.319 --> 00:08:25.120 And I can understand that if you're not a Jesus follower, that things like worship that we start our morning with every Sunday can feel a little odd. 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:28.399 Like it can just seem like a weird karaoke experience, you know? 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:37.120 But for us who know Jesus, who have had an encounter with Jesus, there comes a point where there's nothing to do but worship him. 00:08:37.600 --> 00:08:43.039 Like there's just nothing to do but but cry out and sing out. 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:49.200 Whether you do it out loud or you're more of an internal worshiper, but there's just nothing you can do but but worship him. 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:56.240 Because you've seen him clearly enough to recognize that that is what that is what should happen. 00:08:56.639 --> 00:08:58.240 He necessitates that. 00:08:58.559 --> 00:09:02.320 I believe that the more clearly we see Jesus, the more dearly we we love him. 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:07.759 And I think in exploring this meal, we'll see Jesus in maybe a fresh way. 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:11.120 So we're gonna get started by opening up John chapter 13. 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:19.519 It says, before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. 00:09:19.840 --> 00:09:23.679 He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:30.080 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:35.279 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything, that he had come from God and would return to God. 00:09:35.360 --> 00:09:42.240 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, and poured water into a basin. 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:48.080 Then he began to wash the disciples' feet, drying them with the towel he had around him. 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:53.279 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, Lord, are you going to wash my feet? 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:57.200 And Jesus replied, You don't understand now what I'm doing, but someday you will. 00:09:57.440 --> 00:10:00.799 No, Peter protested, you will never wash my feet. 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:03.519 Jesus replied, Unless I wash you, you won't belong to me. 00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:07.039 So Simon Peter exclaimed, Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet. 00:10:07.200 --> 00:10:12.879 Jesus replied, A person who is bathed all over does not need to wash except for the feet to be entirely clean. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:15.519 And you disciples are clean, but not all of you. 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:17.759 For Jesus knew who would betray him. 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.320 That is what he meant when he said, Not all of you are clean. 00:10:20.480 --> 00:10:26.480 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, Do you understand what I was doing? 00:10:26.799 --> 00:10:31.039 You call me teacher and lord, and you are right, because that's what I am. 00:10:31.279 --> 00:10:36.399 And since I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other's feet. 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:38.240 I have given you an example to follow. 00:10:38.399 --> 00:10:40.080 Do as I have done to you. 00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:48.000 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master, nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 00:10:48.240 --> 00:10:52.000 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them. 00:10:54.720 --> 00:11:00.320 Some of you are worried that we have bowls of water set aside and shoes are about to come off. 00:11:00.399 --> 00:11:01.120 Don't worry. 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:02.399 We're not. 00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:05.440 Someone just went, oh, okay. 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:15.440 It's a strange thing, but it for our culture today, but in Jesus' culture, washing feet was a really big deal. 00:11:15.679 --> 00:11:24.879 The Jewish people of Jesus' day were actually way more focused on cleanliness than their contemporaries, but staying clean was pretty hard in that time and in that place. 00:11:25.840 --> 00:11:30.320 You know, you're in the Middle East, and and footwear's come a long way. 00:11:30.799 --> 00:11:35.039 In Jesus' day, what everyone would have been wearing was just a simple leather sandal. 00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:41.600 And we're talking a little a little foot-shaped bottom with a few small leather straps to keep it on your feet. 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:53.360 And so, even if you had cleaned yourself completely, just walking from place to place, everyone traveled by foot, you would have, there's just no way to avoid having filthy feet in Jesus' day. 00:11:53.600 --> 00:12:05.200 And so when you would enter a home, because they were so focused on cleanliness, there would be bowls of water set aside, basins of water, for you to have your feet washed as you came in. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:08.480 This would have been a very normal custom in his day. 00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:11.600 But it wasn't something anyone got excited about. 00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:14.879 It wasn't something that was viewed in like some honorary way. 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:19.600 Like if you were said, hey, you get to wash feet tonight, people weren't like, wow, thank you. 00:12:19.840 --> 00:12:21.919 Thank you for this deep honor. 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:23.759 Well, because like feet are gross. 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:26.480 They just, they, they are, they're gross. 00:12:26.879 --> 00:12:27.840 They always have been. 00:12:27.919 --> 00:12:30.639 The phrase smells like feet has never been a compliment. 00:12:30.720 --> 00:12:32.240 It will never be a compliment. 00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:32.720 Okay? 00:12:32.960 --> 00:12:36.240 Feet haven't changed in the last 2,000 years. 00:12:36.559 --> 00:12:42.799 And so washing feet was something that was always done, if you were like wealthy enough to have servants in your home. 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:47.360 It was always done by the lowest ranking servant in a home. 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:57.120 In fact, the Jewish people who had servants, they were wealthy enough to have that, would make sure that whichever servant washed the feet wasn't even one of the Jewish servants. 00:12:57.200 --> 00:12:59.840 They didn't even want that task to be done by one of their own people. 00:13:00.000 --> 00:13:06.320 That is how low of a position washing feet was viewed as. 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:12.000 And so the backdrop here is that the disciples are here at this last meal with Jesus. 00:13:12.159 --> 00:13:14.559 Jesus has planned this, he's thought about this. 00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:21.840 Think about how intentional Jesus would be in this final opportunity to sit down with his followers, to help them connect the dots. 00:13:21.919 --> 00:13:24.240 It's so clear to Jesus that they have so much left to learn. 00:13:24.399 --> 00:13:27.519 So much of what he has said has not connected, it hasn't sunk in. 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:34.480 He's got one more night to be with them and to teach them and to hopefully help them get there. 00:13:35.919 --> 00:13:38.000 And here's how the night begins. 00:13:38.159 --> 00:13:40.960 Luke's gospel gives us a different vantage point. 00:13:41.039 --> 00:13:43.519 We get to see what precedes this foot washing. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:48.960 And it says, Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them. 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:56.720 And Jesus told them, In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called friends of the people. 00:13:56.879 --> 00:13:58.799 But among you it will be different. 00:13:59.360 --> 00:14:04.960 Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. 00:14:05.039 --> 00:14:06.159 Who is more important? 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:09.200 The one who sits at the table or the one who serves? 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:11.759 Well, the one who sits at the table, of course, but not here. 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:13.759 In other words, not in my kingdom. 00:14:14.559 --> 00:14:18.879 For I am among you as one who serves. 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:22.240 So here's Jesus. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:24.399 Just like let's let's put ourselves there as much as we can. 00:14:24.480 --> 00:14:25.200 Here's Jesus. 00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:27.440 It's your last night with your disciples. 00:14:27.679 --> 00:14:31.679 You've spent three years teaching them, training them, walking with them everywhere. 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:36.159 They've seen you do miracles, they've heard you say things that have just blown people's minds. 00:14:36.480 --> 00:14:39.759 And all of this time, you've known that you've got to go to the cross. 00:14:39.840 --> 00:14:42.960 You've known that a time is coming when you're not physically going to be there anymore. 00:14:43.039 --> 00:14:44.879 And these are the guys you picked. 00:14:45.120 --> 00:14:47.840 These are the guys that you've spent all your time with. 00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:56.480 And so you'd hope that by the end, by the moment that you're about to go to the cross, that this stuff has sunk in, and they under, they really understand what you're about. 00:14:57.200 --> 00:15:06.879 And you're sitting there, and the meal's about to get started, and you're listening to them argue about which of them will be the greatest. 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:15.519 You know, it's likely that they all walked in with filthy feet, and Jesus and his disciples didn't have servants. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:16.960 They didn't do that. 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:25.200 And so either you're gonna wash your own feet or someone's gonna have to like step up and take one for the team and be like, hey guys, my night to wash feet. 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:31.039 And it's very clear by the argument that they're having that no one's volunteering for that task. 00:15:31.279 --> 00:15:35.679 In fact, it could be that the very thing they're arguing about is like who has to be the one who washes feet? 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:37.679 We don't know that, but it kind of fits. 00:15:37.919 --> 00:15:41.919 Like, I'm not doing it because I'm clearly ahead of you. 00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:43.759 Like, who should be the one? 00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:48.240 It's probably Bartholomew, because he doesn't really ever do anything if you look at the gospels, right? 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:49.840 But like, who's it gonna be? 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:51.759 It's Peter, absolutely not. 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:56.240 Like Peter brags that night about how he is clearly the most loyal to Jesus. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:04.399 You know, John and James were brothers, and they were some of the first that Jesus called, and they were part of his inner circle, and they're like, nah, not us. 00:16:04.480 --> 00:16:04.879 We are cool. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:14.000 They actually had just had their mom shortly before this go to Jesus and try to get their mom to like talk Jesus into guaranteeing them places of honor. 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:16.799 They're not signing up for the foot washing. 00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:20.080 And so all this arguing's happening. 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:20.799 I'm the greatest. 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:21.279 No, I am. 00:16:21.360 --> 00:16:22.879 No, I'm the one that Jesus said this to. 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:25.600 No, I was there the day that Jesus did this. 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:27.840 You know, Andrew could be like, I was the first one that followed him. 00:16:28.000 --> 00:16:30.080 None of you would be here if not for me. 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:34.960 And here's Jesus just watching this happen. 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:50.159 So he walks over, and he grabs a basin, and he takes off his outer garment, his robe, because if you were washing feet, your robe would get really dirty, and they didn't do that, they protected that. 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:56.080 So he takes it off, which puts you in even a lower position because you're exposed. 00:16:56.559 --> 00:17:03.840 And he bends down and he begins to wash their feet, and they are stunned. 00:17:04.640 --> 00:17:06.079 They are shocked. 00:17:09.920 --> 00:17:13.279 Peter's like, Jesus, no. 00:17:15.039 --> 00:17:18.240 No, you you can't, and and Jesus kind of says to Peter, shut up. 00:17:18.720 --> 00:17:21.519 Please, for once in your life, stop talking. 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:23.839 I very much relate to Peter. 00:17:25.680 --> 00:17:27.119 And let me do this for you. 00:17:27.440 --> 00:17:30.160 You don't understand what I'm doing, but one day you will. 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:43.839 And Jesus shows them that all this talk about greatness that they've been having, that they have no understanding, no idea what God very much considers great. 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:55.440 You know, it's interesting, Jesus speaks to that desire within them to be great, just like the commercial we looked at earlier spoke to. 00:17:55.759 --> 00:17:58.880 He recognizes that in them is the desire to be great, and that's fine. 00:17:59.119 --> 00:18:02.880 He doesn't tell them not to strive for greatness. 00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:07.119 He says, Hey, whoever among you wants to be great, you want to be great? 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:10.400 This is what greatness looks like in God's eyes. 00:18:10.960 --> 00:18:15.680 This would have immediately echoed a teaching of Jesus they had heard earlier. 00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:28.559 Matthew chapter 20, verses 25 through 28, Jesus called them together and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them, not so with you. 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:35.119 Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. 00:18:35.680 --> 00:18:44.480 Whoever wants to be first must be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. 00:18:44.640 --> 00:18:46.960 Jesus says, Hey guys, you want to be great? 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:47.440 Good. 00:18:47.599 --> 00:18:49.279 I called you to be great. 00:18:49.599 --> 00:18:54.960 When he called Peter out of being a fisherman, he said, I'm going to take you from being a fisherman to a fisher of men. 00:18:55.200 --> 00:18:58.640 He recognized in them a desire for more and he spoke to that. 00:18:58.720 --> 00:18:59.680 That's a good thing. 00:18:59.920 --> 00:19:03.519 That part of us from birth that wants to be great, that's a good thing. 00:19:03.759 --> 00:19:12.720 Jesus doesn't place a cap on it, but he completely turns it upside down and says, Hey, in God's eyes, you guys have no idea what greatness really looks like. 00:19:15.200 --> 00:19:24.960 But if you want to be great, if you really want to live a life of consequence, in God's eyes, and let's face it, who else's eyes count? 00:19:26.880 --> 00:19:28.960 This is what greatness looks like. 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:36.880 And he takes off his robe and he performs the lowest possible task available. 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:46.559 Jesus shows us in his eyes, in the eyes of God, the supremacy of service. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:58.880 What God values more than just about anything, is humility. 00:20:00.880 --> 00:20:07.759 Matthew chapter 23, Jesus says, Don't let anyone call you rabbi, for you only have one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters. 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:16.640 By the way, this is part of why people ask this sometimes, especially if you're new to the church, like why I'm not Pastor Justin or Pastor McTear. 00:20:16.799 --> 00:20:17.920 Like I am a pastor. 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:19.119 That is my role. 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:21.440 But it is not a title that I carry. 00:20:21.680 --> 00:20:25.359 You know, I will tell people, oh, I'm I'm the pastor at that church. 00:20:25.680 --> 00:20:27.200 But that's just my role. 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:28.559 I don't have a title. 00:20:28.720 --> 00:20:30.319 I don't need a title. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:31.839 None of us do. 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:34.160 Because he says, don't let anyone call you rabbi. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:35.359 We all have one teacher. 00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:37.039 We're equal as brothers and sisters. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:41.039 Don't address anyone here on earth as father, for only God in heaven is your father. 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:44.720 Don't let anyone call you teacher, for you only have one teacher, the Messiah. 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:47.279 The greatest among you must be a servant. 00:20:47.519 --> 00:20:52.400 But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. 00:20:53.759 --> 00:20:56.079 Those who exalt themselves will be humbled. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:20:59.279 But those who humble themselves will be exalted. 00:21:02.480 --> 00:21:06.480 God values humility more than we could possibly understand. 00:21:08.880 --> 00:21:27.519 And when we as people are willing to take the lowest possible opportunity, the lowest ranking opportunity to serve other people, that impresses God far more than anything that the world would say is worthy of dignity or respect. 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:31.519 And I've seen this actually play out in some really interesting ways. 00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:36.079 It's funny sometimes you kind of step back and watch how God operates and what he values. 00:21:36.720 --> 00:21:41.200 And so it's it's funny, I'm gonna brag on him for a second, uh, just because I do from time to time. 00:21:41.279 --> 00:21:44.240 But like Matt Simmons, who leads our worship team, Matt's great. 00:21:44.480 --> 00:21:47.359 And Matt's unusual because he's very humble, even though he's really talented. 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:50.079 A lot of times, people who are more talented, they're just harder to deal with. 00:21:50.160 --> 00:21:51.599 It's like the opposite with Matt. 00:21:51.759 --> 00:21:53.680 I mean, sometimes, but it's okay. 00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:56.799 But you know, Matt, Matt's our worship, he's our worship leader. 00:21:56.960 --> 00:21:59.279 Like he leads the worship team, and and it's so much work. 00:21:59.359 --> 00:21:59.759 But you know. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.880 The first task Matt ever had here at his hands. 00:22:05.599 --> 00:22:10.640 It was he started when he was in college over 10 years ago, working like eight hours a week. 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:17.039 And I remember because I was here and I brought him on and I said, Hey man, we we really love you, and I just, you know, it's a part-time job. 00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:20.160 Just we can work with your hours, super flexible while you're in school. 00:22:20.319 --> 00:22:21.839 It might grow and it has. 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:23.200 And he's like, Yeah, I'll do it. 00:22:23.279 --> 00:22:24.240 I'll do anything. 00:22:24.480 --> 00:22:30.960 And the first week he was here, his job was we had a goose that just decided this was the goose's home. 00:22:31.359 --> 00:22:33.279 I don't know if the goose is still around. 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:36.799 Um, but this goose just this was it picked our church. 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:38.240 Love Jesus, I guess. 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:46.400 And uh and it decided that the walkway in front of the children's entrance was where it just wanted to like enjoy life. 00:22:47.519 --> 00:22:59.839 And every week between Sunday and Saturday, you know, the the goose would just crap all over the sidewalk in front of our building. 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:05.279 And Matt's job was to scrape off and clean off all the goose poop. 00:23:05.839 --> 00:23:07.119 That's what he did. 00:23:07.279 --> 00:23:08.240 And he did a great job. 00:23:08.400 --> 00:23:08.960 He's really good at it. 00:23:09.119 --> 00:23:12.799 I just want to say, Matt was one of one of the best goose poop cleaners I have ever seen. 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:16.160 A flawless technique, absolutely flawless technique. 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:18.559 And now he's our worship pastor, right? 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:20.720 That's how it works sometimes. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:22.319 And he never complained about it. 00:23:22.400 --> 00:23:24.480 He never said, No, I'm not gonna do that. 00:23:24.640 --> 00:23:25.359 That's beneath me. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:29.039 He was always like, Yeah, let's go. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:31.839 In fact, I I remember it was one of his first weeks here. 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:43.279 Someone had like, for some reason, come by the building and sort of vandalized the Jesus statue and and had just like dumped a bunch of stuff on it, like food or something, and it had all like baked on there, and we we noticed it. 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:47.279 And so we were just like the only two who were here that day, and we're like, hey, let's just go out and clean it off. 00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:48.559 And it was really surreal. 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:51.759 Because obviously it's not Jesus, it's a statue, right? 00:23:51.920 --> 00:23:59.920 But even just loving Jesus, there was something about just taking paper towels and wiping off that statue. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:03.839 We looked at each other like, this is like uh this is interesting, you know. 00:24:05.759 --> 00:24:09.039 Jesus is calling us to be great. 00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:13.759 If you have a desire to be more than you are, that's a good thing. 00:24:13.920 --> 00:24:19.680 Jesus is calling you to be great, but he's also redefining what greatness is. 00:24:22.240 --> 00:24:26.640 Greatness in our eyes is all about status and dignity and respect. 00:24:27.839 --> 00:24:32.799 Greatness in Jesus' eyes is all about service and love. 00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:41.279 And so I just want us to think this morning about this idea of do I really want to be great? 00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:45.279 And do I really want to be great in God's eyes? 00:24:47.440 --> 00:24:50.400 And if so, what would that look like to live that way? 00:24:51.759 --> 00:24:54.000 The reality is it's utter humility. 00:24:55.359 --> 00:24:58.640 You know, it's funny, for the disciples, Jesus washing their feet was like shocking. 00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:00.480 Oh my goodness, there's no, he can't do this. 00:25:00.559 --> 00:25:02.640 But for Jesus, this is par for the course. 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:06.079 This is nothing compared to what Jesus had already humbled himself to do. 00:25:06.319 --> 00:25:17.680 Philippians chapter 2, verses 3 through 11 might have one of the most powerful wordings of the humility and the divinity, too, of Jesus that we have in all of Scripture. 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:24.799 Here's what it says: don't be selfish, don't try to impress others, be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. 00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:29.599 Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others too. 00:25:29.759 --> 00:25:32.319 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:39.279 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 00:25:39.759 --> 00:25:42.079 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges. 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:51.519 The actual Greek language uses the idea that he emptied himself of all of his divinity, all of his divine power and privileges. 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:57.759 He gave all of that up, and he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:02.880 When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal's death on a cross. 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:16.880 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, so that the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:21.119 Jesus sacrificed so much just to be here. 00:26:21.200 --> 00:26:25.599 We often don't think of Christmas, the birth of Jesus, as a sacrifice story. 00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:38.559 But you could actually make the argument that Jesus sacrificed more to be born here than he ever sacrificed when he went to the cross, because he gave up heaven, where he was worshipped and adored and had more power and glory than we could even begin to imagine. 00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:41.359 And he set all of that aside for what? 00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:49.359 To come, to be with us, to be one of us, to take upon himself our own weaknesses, to live a life serving us. 00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:52.319 He didn't pick some wealthy family, he wasn't a prince. 00:26:54.319 --> 00:27:06.160 He had a job, he worked with his hands, he was poor, he experienced hunger, he experienced thirst and fatigue and heartbreak and pain. 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:10.720 And he took that all the way to the cross. 00:27:10.880 --> 00:27:13.920 See, for Jesus washing the feet, that's just who he is. 00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:15.200 He is humble. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:18.160 He is like humility incarnate. 00:27:18.240 --> 00:27:29.359 And so when he calls us to be like that, to step into some greatness and serve, he's just asking us to do what he does all the time, what he still does. 00:27:29.599 --> 00:27:34.480 Scripture actually gives us a window into what Jesus is doing right now in heaven, and he's praying for us. 00:27:35.039 --> 00:27:37.680 He's serving us right now. 00:27:40.559 --> 00:27:44.079 In this really compassionate way, because he knows our weaknesses and our struggles. 00:27:44.640 --> 00:27:50.400 And it's almost like he can look at God the Father and be like, look, they're having a hard day. 00:27:50.720 --> 00:27:51.680 I get it. 00:27:53.119 --> 00:27:54.480 I know how they feel. 00:27:55.119 --> 00:27:56.400 He serves us. 00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:02.480 So if you want to be great, I'm gonna give you two things. 00:28:02.960 --> 00:28:06.160 Two really practical steps if you want to be great. 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:08.880 Step one. 00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:12.480 Be willing to serve anyone. 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:16.799 Be willing to serve anyone at any time. 00:28:16.960 --> 00:28:33.599 Be ready, I mean, like at the drop of a hat, be ready to relinquish every bit of status, every bit of achievement, every bit of dignity that you have, at the drop of a hat, be ready to lay it aside to serve someone else. 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:35.599 That's a hard thing to do. 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:45.680 In fact, I had a friend that reminded me of this dynamic that we all deal with as people this last week by mentioning one of the most iconic TV characters in in television history, the one and only Dwight K. 00:28:45.839 --> 00:28:48.079 Schrott, if you guys are office fans. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:58.720 I found that like the office is something that either you're like, at this point in time, you're really into, you've binge watched it like three or four times, you know it by heart, anyone in that category of people, you're like, yes, or you're like, I don't, I'm never gonna watch it. 00:28:58.799 --> 00:28:59.680 I've just decided not to. 00:28:59.839 --> 00:29:00.640 Anyone there? 00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:01.759 Okay, half and half. 00:29:01.839 --> 00:29:04.079 Some of you are just apathetic toward the office, which is fine. 00:29:04.240 --> 00:29:06.000 Um, it's fine to be that way. 00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:12.319 But but there's a character, if you're not familiar, named named Dwight Schroot, and he's kind of the antithesis of the commercial we looked at earlier. 00:29:12.400 --> 00:29:16.079 Like, his dream is to be the regional manager of a local paper company. 00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:20.000 Like that is to in his mind, that is the greatest thing a human being can be. 00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:25.039 And in order to do that, he does all the things that like would drive you crazy if you had a coworker. 00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:30.480 He sucks up to the boss, he tries to sabotage his co-workers, it's all about trying to get to this level. 00:29:30.559 --> 00:29:32.480 And he's obsessed with status. 00:29:32.799 --> 00:29:37.119 So his boss gives him this meaningless title. 00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:39.759 And it's assistant what? 00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:42.400 To the regional manager. 00:29:42.559 --> 00:29:42.880 Right? 00:29:42.960 --> 00:29:44.640 Some of you guys, you know your stuff. 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:48.720 But that's not what Dwight says when people, like when he introduces himself to people. 00:29:48.799 --> 00:29:49.920 He he calls himself what? 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:50.720 What does he say? 00:29:51.759 --> 00:29:58.640 Yes, he says, I'm Dwight, the assistant regional manager, and his nemesis gym is always like, uh-uh, assistant to the regional manager. 00:29:58.799 --> 00:30:00.400 And it drives him nuts. 00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:14.799 But it's so relatable because we all understand that dynamic as a person, how much we strive for recognition, for status, how how desperately we will cling to that. 00:30:17.440 --> 00:30:23.359 That's why it's relatable because we all kind of deep down inside understand like I want I want more of that. 00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:26.000 I want more status, I want more recognition. 00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:29.119 I've earned it. 00:30:30.000 --> 00:30:34.319 And so we tend to cling to that as much as possible. 00:30:35.680 --> 00:30:37.519 We tend to hold on tightly to it. 00:30:37.680 --> 00:30:41.680 I mean, people will even lie and exaggerate to have more of it. 00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:50.559 And Jesus didn't even cling to his own divinity. 00:30:52.480 --> 00:31:08.480 Like if Jesus is willing to set aside that, I mean, how much more should I be ready and willing to throw away whatever amount of status or dignity I might think that I have in my life? 00:31:09.440 --> 00:31:11.359 If it means to serve people. 00:31:13.440 --> 00:31:17.359 Consider for a moment whose feet Jesus washed that night. 00:31:18.079 --> 00:31:19.599 I mean, he's washing the feet of Peter. 00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:21.039 Just imagine, like, the line. 00:31:21.279 --> 00:31:24.000 And I don't know, I think I would have rather been the first one in the line. 00:31:24.079 --> 00:31:26.799 It was probably Peter, because he's the one that's like shocked about it. 00:31:26.880 --> 00:31:34.559 I don't know if that's true or not, but he's the one that has the argument with Jesus, and after Jesus wins the argument with Peter, everyone else would probably have just been like, clearly, this is happening. 00:31:35.839 --> 00:31:39.359 But I mean, imagine how awkward it must have been to just be in that line. 00:31:40.720 --> 00:31:44.880 And watching the next person, and then like, here you go. 00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:46.240 It's my turn. 00:31:46.480 --> 00:31:55.440 And you know, so you would have had Peter, and Jesus is washing his feet, and Peter is like, sometimes he's the star player, sometimes he's the one that just drives you crazy. 00:31:55.680 --> 00:32:04.000