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Sermon Title: "True Greatness"

Text: Matthew 4:8–11 & 20:20–28
Preacher: Alex Hogendoorn
Date: April 6, 2025

Summary Tagline:

"True glory isn’t at the front of the line—it’s at the foot of the cross."

Message Summary:

Alex opened with a relatable image—standing in line at the grocery store, calculating which lineup will move faster. But the illustration quickly turned profound: What if the line we’re in isn’t leading where we think it is? Are we chasing a kind of greatness that Jesus wouldn’t even want? The third temptation in Matthew 4 reveals Satan offering Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Jesus refuses—not just because Satan is evil, but because Jesus doesn’t want that kind of glory. He came to save people, not to possess nations. His mission is rooted in worship, not conquest.

Alex moved from the wilderness to the Gospel account in Matthew 20, where James and John’s mother asks for seats of honor in Jesus’ kingdom. Jesus reframes greatness entirely: "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant." In the kingdom of God, we’re not fighting to be first—we're moving toward the back of the line, because that’s where Jesus is. Greatness isn’t found in power, status, or recognition but in humility, service, and sacrifice. Alex closed with the image of the cross—the place of shame in human eyes, but the seat of glory in the eyes of the Father. That’s why Jesus wore a crown of thorns. When we pray these words--“Your kingdom come, your will be done”--we are agreeing that Jesus is true greatness and we making him and God's kingdom all we want.

Group Discussion Guide

Icebreaker Questions: (Choose 1)

  1. What’s a time you realized too late you’d been standing in the “wrong line” in life?
  2. When have you witnessed or experienced someone embracing a lower position—and it led to something beautiful or surprising?
  3. What’s the weirdest or most intense lineup you’ve ever been in (concert, Black Friday, airport, etc.)? What did it reveal about people?

Read Matthew 4:8–11 & 20:20–28 together and discuss any questions that arise from the passage. Then use a few of these questions for further reflection.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory—and Jesus said, "No." What does that tell us about the kind of glory Jesus came for?
  2. Alex said Jesus didn’t just resist this temptation—he didn’t even want what Satan offered. What would it look like to examine our lives through the question, “Would Jesus even want this thing I’m chasing?”
  3. In Matthew 20, James and John’s mother asks for status in the kingdom. Jesus responds with a radical idea: true greatness is found in servanthood. How does this challenge our view of success?
  4. Jesus’ surrender to the Father led to real power and real freedom. What kind of freedom do you think you might experience if you stopped striving for greatness and trusted the way of Jesus?
  5. When we manipulate others, we’re often trying to manipulate God—or vice versa. How do pride, comparison, or control show up in your spiritual life or relationships?

For Further Study:

  1. Matthew 4:8–11 – The third temptation and Jesus' refusal of worldly glory.
  2. Matthew 20:20–28 – True greatness is servanthood.
  3. Philippians 2:5–11 – Jesus’ humility and the Father’s exaltation.
  4. Isaiah 53:1–12 – The suffering servant as the true picture of glory.
  5. John 13:1–17 – Jesus washes his disciples’ feet.
  6. 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 – God chooses what is weak and lowly.
  7. Mark 10:35–45 – Parallel to the request of James and John.
  8. Revelation 5:5–10 – The Lion is the Lamb who was slain.
  9. Romans 12:1–2 – A life of surrendered worship.
  10. Luke 22:24–27 – “I am among you as one who serves.”

Gospel Connections

Let’s discuss how we can apply this message to our lives as we seek to make the following connections as we follow Jesus:

  1. How does seeing Jesus’ rejection of worldly power shape your personal trust in God?
  2. How can our church embody the back-of-the-line posture in our leadership, hospitality, and service?
  3. How can our group help one another to lay down pride, seek humility, and serve joyfully?
  4. What would it look like for our city to see Christians pursuing the cross-shaped life instead of chasing influence?
Adults
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