Chasing Greatness
Ted Buck
Part of Chasing Greatness
March 7, 2024

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39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” —John 11:39 NIV


45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.


“What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many signs. 48 If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our temple and our nation.” —John 11:45-48 NIV


53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life. 54 Therefore Jesus no longer moved about publicly among the people of Judea. Instead he withdrew to a region near the wilderness, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. —John 11:53-54 NIV

You were meant for and so was I!


33 “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
36 “What do you want me to do
37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”
38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”
39 “We can,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” —Mark 10:33-45 NIV


Embrace what real Godly greatness is.

Real greatness is not about what you . It’s what you with what you that will make you great.

The of a life is measured by how much of it is away. Not how big a pile is left behind.

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” —Mark 10:45 NIV

Greatness is not about what you . It’s what you with what you that will make you great.

Serving is an exercise of . It’s being able to use in a way that makes a .

The of a life is measured by how much of it is away.

God has of what it takes (to make us great for Him). All we have to do is to be to be useful.