The Strand Study Bible

MATTHEW “MINI” SERIES SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF GREATNESS

Way #5. Learn to be a servant (Mt 20:20-28 and Jn 3:22-30) John the Baptist said of JESUS in John 3:29-30:

He that hath the bride (the Church) is the bridegroom ( Christ ) : but the friend of the bridegroom (or, best man; John himself) , which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease .

The true mark of a great Christian lies in his/her willingness to be treated like a servant –an absolute nobody. A true servant has no rights and no say so. He serves because he is a servant ( Rev 1:1 b ).It is not enough just to serve. If we are to be great in God’s eyes, we must be willing to be treated like servants. And you’ll never know what it means to be a servant until you’re treated like one. As believers, we may be willing to serve, but are we still willing to serve after we’ve been treated like a servant? Therein lies the greatness . When was the last time you served after being treated like a servant? Way #6. Learn to love ( “agape” style” ) (I Cor 13:13 and Jn 15:13) JESUS said in John 15:13: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends . The true mark of a great Christian lies in his/her willingness to learn how to love like God loves . Learning to love like God loves means learning to replace how you feel with what God says. It is not enough just to experience love. If we are to be great in God’s eyes, we must express the love we’ve experienced ( Mt 18: 21- 34 -35). As believers, we may say we love, but do we love the unlovely, the ungodly, and the undesirable? God did ( Rom 5: 6- 8 ). Therein lies the greatness . When was the last time we treated those who hate us with the same kind of love that CHRIST showed us? Way #7. Learn to be CHRIST -like (Lk 1:32 and Jn 1:19-25) It was said of JESUS in Luke 1:32: He ( JESUS ) shall be great, and shall be called the SON OF THE HIGHEST : and the LORD GOD shall give unto HIM the throne of his father David . Greatness is more than saying you’re a Christian; it’s acting like one. The true mark of a great Christian lies in his/her willingness to become CHRIST -like in every area. It is not enough just to wear a band with WWJD on it. If we are to be great in God’s eyes, we must wear the band on our heart instead of our wrist. What good is a bumper sticker if you don’t stick by it? As believers, we may say we’re Christians, but do we act like JESUS in every area? Do we turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, and give above and beyond what we’re asked? JESUS did. Therein lies the greatness . When was the last time you walked like a Christian instead of just talked like one?

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