This is Dr. Jaerock Lee, Senior Pastor of Manmin Central Church in Seoul, Korea. I wish for your life to be filled with God’s love and blessing. I want to share God’s grace with you through this message titled “Who Is Great?”
Generally people say that someone who is great is anyone who has wealth, honor, and power. But God has a totally different perspective. What kind of person can be deemed to be great in the sight of God?
First of all, a person who is great humbles himself and serves others. Jesus said in Matthew 18:4, “Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven,” and in Matthew 20:26-27, “It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.”
People say that we can be elevated when we elevate ourselves but if we lower ourselves and act humbly we will be ridiculed. But the truth teaches us that he who lowers himself and serves others can be recognized as great by God. Sometimes it seems that great is he who exalts himself and tries to be served, but he who is truly humble and serves will not only be recognized on earth but also exalted by God.
Secondly, great is he who teaches and practices the word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 5:19, “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
If you count a word of God as small and unimportant and teach others that they don’t have to follow that word, you will be called the least in heaven. You have to think highly of every word of the Bible and teach others to do and act by it. No matter how well you can teach the Word of God you can never be called great if you do not act by the Word of God. Only when you teach others the Word of God while practicing it, can you be called great in heaven.
Thirdly, great is he who walks with our Lord in trials. When Jesus came down to the earth and received trials, His disciples followed Him and were with Him in His trials. When He was hungry they hungered and when He was persecuted by wicked people, they were also persecuted in His name.
Jesus promised them saying in Luke 22:28-30, “You are those who have stood by Me in My trials; and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”
This promise is applied to every man who receives persecutions for righteousness in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ because he keeps the word of God. Those persecutions happen when someone who has previously enjoyed worldly pleasures along with secular friends has turned and tries to live a godly life or when someone who had not previously kept the Lord’s Day, begins to attend the various worship services and prayer meetings as well as the Sunday service.
Just as 1 John 4:18 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear,” however, if you love God with complete hearts, fear disappears and you can join in the trials of the Lord.
May each of you not only teach others the word of God in humility and obedience to His word but also completely love Him so that you can be called great in heaven, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I pray!
