(Luk) 1:15-17 CJB “for he will be great in the sight of Adonai. He is never to drink wine or other liquor, and he will be filled with the Ruach HaKodesh even from his mother’s womb. He will turn many of the people of Isra’el to Adonai their God. He will go out ahead of Adonai in the spirit and power of Eliyahu to turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready for Adonai a people prepared.”

Every man wants his life to matter.

We want to accomplish something. Build something. Win something. Leave something behind.

There is nothing inherently wrong with accomplishment. God created us in His image, and therefore we were designed to reflect the greatness of our Creator through lives of purpose, responsibility, creativity, and fruitful work.

The problem isn’t our desire to accomplish something significant.

The problem is whose definition of greatness we pursue.

Luke tells us that John the Baptist would be great in God’s sight.

Think about that phrase.

Not great in the sight of other men.

Not famous.

Not wealthy.

Not powerful.

Not celebrated.

Great in the sight of God.

Sin Changed Our Definition of Greatness

God is great.

We were created to glorify Him. Yet sin turns our attention inward.

Instead of asking:

“How can my life display God’s greatness?”

We begin asking:

“How can I get people to think I am great?”

So men create their own scoreboards.

Success.

Power.

Money.

Knowledge.

Influence.

Recognition.

Accomplishment.

None of these things is necessarily sinful. The danger comes when they become the purpose of our lives rather than tools entrusted to us for God’s purposes.

Then we spend our lives building monuments to ourselves.

Human Greatness Has an Expiration Date

The world rewards its great men.

There are trophies, plaques, buildings bearing their names, awards, headlines, halls of fame, and eventually statues.

But every earthly trophy has an expiration date.

Eventually someone breaks the record.

Someone builds the bigger company.

Someone makes more money.

Someone becomes more famous.

And eventually, everyone dies.

Jesus asked the question that destroys the world’s entire definition of success: “What good will it do someone if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life?” Matthew 16:26 CJB

A man could spend his entire life becoming great in the eyes of people who will soon be dead themselves while completely ignoring the God before whom he will stand forever.

Temporary applause is a terrible trade for eternal reward.

What Does It Mean to Be Great in God’s Sight?

Look again at John’s greatness.

God did not call John great because of what he accumulated.

God called him great because of who he served and what his life accomplished for God’s kingdom.

John would:

• Be filled with the Holy Spirit.
• Turn fathers toward spiritual leadership.
• Turn people back to God.
• Turn the disobedient toward righteousness.
• Prepare people for the coming of Jesus.

That’s greatness.

Greatness in God’s sight moves people from darkness toward light, from death toward life, from disobedience toward obedience, and ultimately points people toward Jesus Christ.

John wasn’t building John’s kingdom.

He was preparing people for God’s King.

Later, John summarized his entire life’s ambition in one remarkable statement: “He must become more important, while I become less important.”  John 3:30 CJB

That’s almost the exact opposite of the world’s definition of greatness.

The world says:

Increase yourself.

John says:

Increase Jesus.

Great Men Make Jesus Greater

The man whom God considers great works in dependence upon the Holy Spirit to lift up Jesus Christ so others may believe in Him and be reconciled to God.

That’s a life worth spending.

That’s a legacy worth leaving.

That’s greatness worth pursuing.

It changes how we think about our time, talent, and treasure.

Instead of asking how much we can accumulate, we begin asking how much we can deploy for God’s kingdom.

Instead of using people to build our kingdom, we use what God has given us to help people enter His.

Instead of spending our lives trying to make our names greater, we spend them making Jesus’ name known.

The Cross Redefines Greatness

Jesus completely overturned the world’s definition of greatness.

Kingdom greatness looks like a cross.

It means crucifying selfish ambition.

It means surrendering our plans to God’s purposes.

It means using our abilities, opportunities, possessions, influence, and remaining days for something that will outlive us.

Men pursuing the greatness God rewards forever increasingly give their time, talent, and treasure to seeing God’s kingdom come and His will done.

Not to earn salvation.

Not to prove ourselves worthy.

But because men saved by grace have been given a new King and a new reason for living.

Which Greatness Are You Pursuing?

Every man is building something with his life.

The question is whether what we’re building will survive eternity.

You can become successful in business.

You can accumulate wealth.

You can gain influence.

You can earn recognition.

You can even get your name placed somewhere people will remember it.

But none of that compares with hearing God’s approval.

John was great in God’s sight because his life pointed people toward Jesus.

That’s still greatness today.

Don’t spend your life trying to convince men that you’re great.

Spend your life showing men that Jesus is.

Run Today’s Play

Ask, if God—not money, accomplishments, recognition, or other men—were keeping the scoreboard, would He call what I’m pursuing great?

Identify one area of your time, talent, or treasure that you can deliberately redirect toward God’s kingdom.

Then, help one person move one step closer to Jesus through your words, example, encouragement, or witness.

Men, don’t settle for greatness that dies when you do. Pursue the greatness God sees, God values, and God rewards forever.